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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006232">The Youngling Odyssey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lifeoflemoon/pseuds/Lifeoflemoon'>Lifeoflemoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Cody can't believe he's honorary uncle, Death Watch (Star Wars), F/M, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Grand Adventure, Happy Family, Implied Sexual Content, Just Kenobi Problems, Kidnapping, Master Kestis, Nightsisters (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Rex will not be out-uncled, Slavery, The team is always one step behind, Youngling wants to go home, child on a battlefield, dont worry though, dooku is tired, get ready for kids, he's fine, hondo wants to adopt him, the rating would change if it was bad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:27:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lifeoflemoon/pseuds/Lifeoflemoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the unexpected death of the Chancellor, which Anakin Skywalker had “nothing” to do with, the clone wars come to a surprising end. All is good in the Republic with a new chancellor, a refurbished Jedi order, and a chance for a future.<br/>Now the Jedi are allowed to settle down. </p><p>However, General Grievous, and some other malcontents are still out there. Causing havoc and waiting.</p><p>20 years pass and now it seems the Galaxy is ready for chaos once again.</p><p>Here's to the Team and Co, pulling their hair out across the stars.</p><p>And Jaytin just wants to go home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker &amp; Ahsoka Tano, CC-2224 | Cody &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The future and 20 years earlier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jay stumbles, his legs too short when the long twig-like legs of a battle droid steps in his path on the way to support Aunt Bo in the active war zone. He raises his lightsaber and deflects the shots back at it, but he gets caught off guard when a super battle droid appears and shoots at his feet.</p>
<p>With a cry, he falls backward on his bum, feeling undignified and scared, the emotionless sensors the droid locking in on him as his back hits a rocky outcropping unearthed during the battle. Jay wonders if this is the moment where his life should flash before his eyes, and my, that wouldn’t take long, cause he’s only turning 12 in a few short days. Still, he sees nothing, but the glint of droid armor bearing down on him.</p>
<p>I want my dad, Jay thinks, for not the first time in the past couple of months. It may just be that last though.</p>
<p>In the dust and pandemonium of the battlefield, the droid prepares to fire again, and Jay raises his saber, unwilling to go down without at least <em>trying</em> to survive.</p>
<p>Then, his ears pop as pressure drops, and BOOM—dust burst into the air and light barely filters through enough to see (and Jay really wants to see because that was totally <em>wicked</em>) the super battle droid bursting apart with satisfying crunch at the sheer strength of the force push, and it flies so far into the battle fog that Jay loses sight of it. He squints through the newly risen dust, hand shielding his eyes from the light as he looks for it. He lets his hand drop when it’s clear that it’s not coming back.</p>
<p>He starts to wonder if that was a fluke as he stands there waiting, for just a moment, to see who saved him. With the battle around him, he can’t hear anything significantly telling, and he most certainly can’t see anything either, but the force hums in some sort of anxious anticipation.</p>
<p>And Jay can relate.</p>
<p>In the back of his mind, he can feel some strange wiggling, trying to come forth but Jay still can’t quite reach it since being on those force suppressants.</p>
<p>But no one comes claiming hero, and briefly, Jay is disappointed. He frowns and shoves that aside, as there is a battle to win, or else beautiful Serenno is lost for really no good reason.</p>
<p>The force screams and he screams and scrambles to the side, just missing the Magna guard that drives its electro staff down right where he was standing. Standing dumbly, like an idiot, right in the perfect spot to be killed.</p>
<p>It’s just him and the Magna guard, which thank Grievous, for bringing those to the table. But Jay wonders where everybody went. He couldn’t see anybody, not Uncle Cody, or Auntie Soka, and he lost Aunt Bo while panicking with the super battle droid. There was too much fog, and too much Magna droid, in his opinion. He hops and dodges and deflects, looking for an opening, when, wouldn’t you believe it, a <em>second </em>Magna guard comes strolling into the party.</p>
<p> Jay despairs. He does not have enough training for this. But, then again, he didn’t have enough training for anything that happened over the course of the last few months.</p>
<p><em>Adapt</em>. That’s what Dad always says.</p>
<p>He prepares to block on two sides, using some of the new moves he learned and widens his stance. But then it hardly matters.</p>
<p>Not two successful blocks in and the second guard sweeps his legs out from under him. He falls harshly on his side, the side that had been shot by that one Death Watch Mando, and he sucks in a breath and looks his executioner in the eyes.</p>
<p>The Magna guard raises its staff, ready to impale him when the air compresses one more time. The dust freezes around him, time grows sluggish, and light beams through the particles. The staff begins to lower, and a shadow descends upon them all. The graceful falling of a defensive angel, the form strikes, blue saber sweeping clean through both Magna guards, the strength and speed and precision of the blow launching them far away from Jay and his savior. Time speeds up again, and Jay looks up and feels relief like he’s never felt before, like he’s been saved in more than one life.</p>
<p>With sheer joy, Jay smiles for what feels like the first time in many cycles.</p>
<p>
  <em>Dad.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>21 years ago.</strong>
</p>
<p>Sidious realized his mistake, probably about five minutes too late. Following Skywalker’s aghast expression, he fidgeted endlessly in his chair and nodded way too politely, where he thought appropriate. Sidious thought Skywalker would get over it, and that his plan was, in fact moving forward, but alas, five minutes later Kenobi comes barging in, lightsaber ignited, looking like he ran over in a speeder and was run over by said speeder.</p>
<p>And Skywalker leapt to his feet, pointing very impolitely and is only able to articulate one word, which was “Sith!”, and then the greatest Sith lord to ever grace the galaxy was assaulted by the Chosen One, the Negotiator, and the few council members that happened to be on the planet. Which was that troll and Mace Windu.</p>
<p>Sidious didn’t stand a chance. The last thing he saw was Skywalker’s beautiful and well-crafted rage separating his head from his body.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Following the unforeseen death of the Chancellor (who would’ve thought that commando droids could get so close to the senate?), the clone wars came to a rather dull end. The newly elected Chancellor Organa was very supportive, of ending a war, starting a peace treaty, and trusting the Jedi. Although the news he received from them about Chancellor Palpatine’s death was very different from what was reported, he knew the reasons for such discretion, especially when Padme made some very explicit threats about the implications of charging her husband with assassination.</p>
<p>Thus, the Republic continued, but the war opened up some issues that Organa wanted addressed. First, the corruption was to be weeded out, through real justice, and not that fake justice. And then, everything else would fall into place.</p>
<p>The Separatists (not the evil ones, but the ones that just wanted to be separate from the Republic), formed an official council that was formally acknowledged by the Republic, from which treaties stemmed. Peace was achieved, and formal trade was beginning negotiations. They rallied behind the name the Confederacy of Independent Systems.</p>
<p>The evil Separatists, who kept the name, banded behind Grievous, and formed a terrorist organization that would come into fruition in later years. It was hardly anything at the moment, but the GAR couldn’t find it and therefore, couldn’t nip it in the bud.</p>
<p>And, surprising everyone, Count Dooku backed down calmly and went home to retire. Really, he was biding his time to see if there was anything to get worked up about, but after a while, it wasn’t worth the effort. Most of the things he had argued for were implemented, by who he was claiming as his grandpadawan, ever the proud Count of his legacy. He sits comfortably on Serenno, for now.</p>
<p>While the galaxy was going through renovations, the Jedi Order was going through an existential crisis. The council met for eight days straight, trying to balance wrapping up the war and re-evaluating what it means to be a jedi. And even after those eight days, they kept meeting obsessively for the next fifteen days before they came to a conclusion, the most unexpected conclusion since Yoda was born.</p>
<p>Obi-wan Kenobi himself was a mess. When after Palpatine was killed by “droids”, Anakin came sobbing into his room while he was taking a tea break, blubbering about “Padme” and “marriage”, two words Obi-wan really wasn’t prepared to hear together.</p>
<p>Needless to say, one shattered tea cup later, Obi-wan sat sweating in his council seat on day two of meetings, wondering how he ends it in these situations, if it’s the will of the force for him to <em>suffer</em> between his angsty former padawan and the council. Just when he thought he was going to burst, they took another break, and Obi-wan grabbed his former padawan by the ear and dragged him to Padme’s apartment for a good long <em>chat</em>.</p>
<p>He brought up two points. What it means to be a Jedi and what it means to <em>trust your best friend.</em></p>
<p>“Did anyone else know?” Obi-wan asked them.</p>
<p>“Palpatine did,” Anakin mumbled, eyes downcast and stormy. Padme pursed her lips.</p>
<p>Obi-wan looked to the sky, thinking, <em>force</em> did we dodge a blaster bolt.</p>
<p>And then he started to cry. Anakin, not really knowing what to do when Obi-wan cries, since that just plain never happens, awkwardly wrapped an arm around his master and held him until it was time for Obi-wan to return the council.</p>
<p>The next day Obi-wan returned to their apartment to discuss an idea. Anakin was suddenly filled with the concept of hope. This could work.</p>
<p>Thus, the meetings in the council chamber took a drastic turn.</p>
<p>What does it mean to be a Jedi? Peace? War? Love? Certainly not hate.</p>
<p>This was the beginning of what Padawan Tano calls the Jedi Order Lite.</p>
<p>After twenty-three days of Council meetings, Yoda moved to the creche, and will remain there, for advice and for raising children.</p>
<p>The death on Chancellor Palpatine was particularly hard on Yoda. He felt he failed to notice the changes in the force. He didn’t approve of all of the changes the council was considered, but he chose to let them go through with it and retired to raise younglings, letting Mace and Plo run the show. He decided the sudden happiness in the force was more important than his traditional ideals.</p>
<p>Tradition was scrapped. Well, that was an exaggeration. The new Jedi Order Lite was equipped with the old code, <em>emotion, yet peace</em>, which was what they taught in the creches anyway. The Jedi stepped apart from the senate and rearranged how they received senate missions. They got a representative to mediate between the senate and jedi, and wouldn’t ya know it, Senator Amidala volunteered.</p>
<p>The jedi also added the Peacekeeper initiative. People need help all over the galaxy, and they can’t always get through to the senate for help. So, the Jedi set up the beginnings of the Peacekeeper Core, jedi knights that explore the galaxy looking for those in need and spreading the means to get in communication with the Jedi. Hence, the new phrase, “Call the Peacekeepers.”</p>
<p>Obi-wan’s favorite new change was the Initiate Initiative. Initiates aging out was scrapped, especially if they needed to rejuvenate the order and support the Corps and the Peacekeeper Core. If not chosen as padawans, they could still train in group orientations for becoming a Peacekeeper Knight. Obi-wan felt that was very promising.</p>
<p>There was also the addition of Guided Force training. Families that didn’t want to give up their child for Jedi training could opt to allow their child enough force training to not be dangerous. Untrained force sensitives had a habit of becoming troublesome, so some Jedi guidance wouldn’t be remiss.</p>
<p>Anakin’s favorite new change was the Jedi Family addition. Jedi who opted to have families did not have to leave the order, but they would be implemented as auxiliary members. They can have a family, live with them, request missions, and will be required to show up for service when called to duty. However, they aren’t allowed to have padawans, because having a family and training a padawan is just not fair to the padawan. Unless, of course the padawan is accepted as an honorary member of the family.</p>
<p>Anakin smirked when he found out he was the exception, until Obi-wan pointed out that was because he already had a family when was training Ashoka and technically broke the code.</p>
<p>But after Ahsoka was knighted, no more padawans for the chosen one. Unless, of course, he kept adding padawans to the family.</p>
<p>Jedi families also had options. Obi-wan wanted to ensure they hammered out these details now, before Anakin has chance to break anything else, and the council spent dawn till dusk with one point. Should the jedi family have force sensitive kids, whether they wanted to be Jedi or not, the parents can do some basic training. Should the younglings want to be jedi, the parents can do training at home, and/or opt for a Master to take care of their training at the temple. Anakin was so excited.</p>
<p>Anakin was having the time of his life. He wanted a family so badly, now that he was allowed to have one, and his joy was radiating all over the temple. Obi-wan was so happy and relieved, that his brother was happy. That didn’t stop Obi-wan from choking on a tuber when Anakin told him he was going to try for kids with Padme. Ahsoka choked too, from laughing so hard at Master Obi-wan.</p>
<p>Still, after all of this, there were some more things to be solved.</p>
<p>The clones, for example. You know, there are a lot of them. Almost enough for their own planet.</p>
<p>They got a moon.</p>
<p>They got a lot of options. The Senate gave them citizenship and actual rights, some Republic planets offered them sanctuary for war veterans, like Naboo and Alderaan. And then some unnamed pirate (Hondo), found an inhabitable moon off of a mining planet in the mid rim, and there the clones can make a home for themselves. This was an option many clones chose.</p>
<p>Not all of them wanted to leave service, it’s sometimes hard to stop being a soldier. Reconstruction was necessary all over the Republic and so those that remained on duty, with actual sentient rights, were on relief, helping those hurt from the war. They spread the new Peacekeeper communication web, along with the rest of the GAR.</p>
<p>Now that they got actual medical care and health insurance, they had some interesting brain scans. Fives was livid.</p>
<p>Obi-wan tried not to enjoy watching the last remnants of respect Anakin had for Palpatine dissipate into the ether.</p>
<p>But, in all seriousness, Palpatine was a terrible man. Those orders would have been holocaust and Obi-wan was <em>this</em> close, with Anakin, to gathering the clones around him like a mother hen. The council knows that Plo did.                                </p>
<p>The 501<sup>st</sup> and the 212<sup>th</sup>, who argued to remain together, were on reconstruction on Ryloth for now, making Numa very happy. They want to remain in service in case of resurface of war, or in case Grievous played his hand, or just in case their generals needed them for duty. They still salute when Obi-wan, Anakin and Ahsoka come out to help, and Rex still doesn’t quite know what to do with a hug, just as Cody still doesn’t quite know what to do with a friendly clasp on the shoulder. Ahsoka lives to watch them try to figure it out.</p>
<p>So, perhaps after all, balance was achieved. The chosen one had, inevitably, brought balance to force. The Jedi Order Lite, most councilors believed, had gone a bit gray. But the force was steadier than any of them could remember it being, so a little bit of gray was ignored for the better.</p>
<p>“Proud, Qui-gon is.” Yoda told Obi-wan on the twenty-fifth day. Obi-wan cried for the second time in twenty-three days.</p>
<p>Anakin was happy living with Padme, reeling for a family. Ahsoka was a hop skip and a jump away from being knighted. And Obi-wan sat alone in his room holding Qui-gon’s saber.</p>
<p>Obi-wan dialed his com.</p>
<p>“Obi?”</p>
<p>“Hello, Satine.”</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Padme told Sabe their wedding on Mandalore was beautiful.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>And here, some twenty years later, we begin the story.</p>
<p>This is about Jaytin. This is about how half the Galaxy went crazy looking for him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A day in the life of the Kenobis and Skywalkers on Coruscant, with some illegal activity at the end.<br/>Or the time when Obi-wan did not throw himself out of a window.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jay has no idea what he is supposed to do. The burger is way too big to fit in his tiny mouth, and cutting the burger just seems like the wrong thing to do. That didn’t stop Mom from cutting her own burger to eat it with a fork anyway, and the way she is looking at him made him wary that she would try to do the same to his burger.</p><p>The tiny stick in the middle was doing a good job holding it all together, but the burger looks like taking that twig out would have the same impact of taking the pin out of a grenade. Jay suddenly really wants to take it out.</p><p>He reaches for the tiny stick when Dad guides his hand away with a raised brow.</p><p>“That’s there to help. If help is offered, do not squander the assistance.”</p><p>“Force Uncle Obi-wan, is this really the time and place for deep intrinsic lessons?” Luke snarks.</p><p>“There is always time to learn,” Dad responds, “Is your sister coming?”</p><p>“Not until later. She will be coming back to the apartment with mom and dad after the meeting. We’ll meet them there. Dad will be bothered from listening to the senate all day, so be prepared for the usual whining.”</p><p>Dad hums in acknowledgment and Jay tries to take a bite of the burger. It’s squishy and delicious, and Jay loves going to Dex’s, but he does not welcome the uncomfortable sensation of sauce dripping down his chin and between his fingers. He puts the burger down and goes to lick his fingers and mom tuts disapprovingly.</p><p>“Jaytin, you know better,” she chides with that stern mom look, the one he knows not to mess with.</p><p>Problem is, Jay doesn’t like napkins, so he didn’t grab one. And the booth where Mom, Dad, his older brother Kasen, and Luke sit just so happens to be out of napkins, which is very inconvenient. Jay looks at his brother, bronze hair is looking blonder in the diner lighting, who’s watching him struggle with glittering amusement. Jay pouts. How cruel, his own brother has no empathy for the needy.</p><p>Then Jay watches his brother roll his green eyes and hand over one of his napkins. But when Kay tries to wipe Jay’s mouth, Jay scrunches his face in offense.</p><p>“I can do it,” Jay says, with dignity, and takes the napkin from Kay. “I am not a child.”</p><p>Mom gives Jay another look, the ‘warning’ look, and Dad laughs. Luke gives Jay a wistful glance.</p><p>“Oh, to be young again,” Luke sighs.</p><p>“You have no room to argue,” Dad scoffs, “you haven’t even been knighted yet.”</p><p>Luke shrugs. It’ll come when it comes. Jay knows Luke is not one to hurry, unlike Leia, who has little patience. How Tal-ia and Leia got along so well really was a wonder, but Leia probably gets plenty of experience dealing with easy-going jedi.</p><p>Speaking of Tal-ia, his sister had also yet to be knighted, but she wasn’t in a hurry either. He can’t wait to see her again; his sister hasn’t been home in a while since she’s been taking on more missions at the temple with Auntie Soka.</p><p>Jay smiles just thinking about Tal-ia. He loves his sister. And then Jay smiles again when Dad places a blue milk shake in front of him. He wiggles excitedly and takes a long sip out of the straw.</p><p>Mom sighs despairingly, “Obi, stop spoiling him.”</p><p>Dad just smiles and gives Jay a secretive wink that mom can definitely see. Jay grins back and takes another sip.</p><hr/><p>Tal-ia met them at Dex’s. Jay took a flying leap into his sister’s hip for a hug. He had missed her a lot and it seemed she missed him too as she gave him a fierce hug back. She gives great hugs, while Kasen is usually a bit more reserved and delicate with his affection, but Jay always cherishes hugs from those he loves.</p><p>She cut her hair. Jay liked it and told her as such. It was a pretty blond and cut into a bob that framed her face and pretty blue eyes, the padawan braid swayed close to her waist.</p><p>She drove them all in a speeder, after the usual brief argument with Luke about who’s driving, and they went to the Coruscant apartment that they share with the Skywalkers. When Jay was younger, he asked Mom why they share, she said it was because they have a place on Mandalore, and the Skywalkers have their own place on Naboo. Therefore, it’s not only cost-effective, but it’s also pleasant. And Jay agreed. He loves Uncle Ani. He spoils him more than Dad does.</p><p>Arriving was pleasant as well. Leia, Uncle Ani, and Aunt Padme had just arrived, and more hugs were exchanged. Aunt Padme told Jay he was starting to look just like Dad, with his copper hair and the same blue eyes, which delighted both him and Dad. Mom seemed pleased as well.</p><p>It had hardly been three weeks since the two families last saw each other, since the Kenobi family was dealing with some minor attacks on Mandalore, but hugs were nice. Uncle Ani also gives great hugs, and he’s so tall! Jay gets all wrapped up in those hugs.</p><p>Dad pouted something awful when Jay asked why he wasn’t as tall as Uncle Ani.</p><p>But it got late pretty quickly, and not long after Uncle Ani snuck him a piece of hard candy, Jay crashed hard on Tal-ia’s shoulder.</p><p>At some point, she moved, trying to talk to Leia, and Jay jerked to with, “huh?”</p><p>The adults laughed softly around him, and he could feel their amusement ripple into the force. He frowned, put off. Kasen, next to him, ruffled his copper hair. Jay was too tired to react and protect his dignity.</p><p>“Are you tired, little one?” Dad asked, standing up.</p><p>Jay frowned harder. “No.” He was cranky when tired.</p><p>Dad shook his head in disbelief. Jay opened his mouth to reassert that he was, in fact, not tired and that it was very rude to not believe him. But what came out instead was a strangled yawn that he couldn’t reign in time.</p><p>With a raised brow, Dad went and picked him up. Jay grumbled in protest.</p><p>Dad also grumbled in protest. “You’re getting bigger, little one. I won’t be able to do this much longer.”</p><p>In a bed, Dad tucked him in and brushed his cheek with a loving hand. “Get some sleep, Dear one, Uncle Cody will be here for morning meal tomorrow. He’s coming in late tonight.”</p><p>Jay smiled sleepily, “Ba'vodu? What about Uncle Rex?”</p><p>Uncle Rex was an uncle too because he refused to be out-uncled by Cody.</p><p>Dad smiled back, eyes crinkling fondly, “He will be coming later, with Ahsoka.”</p><p>Jay closed his eyes, but then he remembered something he wanted to ask about Aunt ‘Soka. She was so amazing, she had <em>two</em> sabers. Jay wanted to be like that, and had asked Master Cal, who was in charge of his training when his family was busy, to teach him, but Master was better with a double-bladed saber and said that Master Tano would be the best teacher.</p><p>“Can Aunt ‘Soka help me with Jar Kai?” Jay asked.</p><p>Dad raised another brow, which is something that Jay sees on a daily basis, so it hardly phases him. He’s too tough for that now.</p><p>“Little one, <em>I</em> can help you with Jar Kai.”</p><p>No way, buir was the best Jedi ever.</p><p>“But no learning two sabers until you can use one.”</p><p>Oh no, buir was the <em>worst</em>.</p><p>Jay didn’t even have his lightsaber with him. Mom doesn’t want him carrying it around, so Dad keeps it on his belt with his own lightsaber when Jay isn’t using it for training. And he’d just built it! Only four weeks ago after his eleventh birthday, when he went and got his blue crystal from Ilum. Luke went with him because he lost his saber again.</p><p>He had been using a training saber for so long, and the real kyber sang so nicely in the force… and he could only hear it from Dad’s hip bone. Unless they were training.</p><p>Speaking of which.</p><p>“Can we train with Uncle Ani tomorrow?”</p><p>“I will ask him.”</p><p>“He’ll say yes,” Jay said, through a yawn.</p><p>Dad laughed. “I know.”</p><p>Jay then fell asleep again, feeling the careful caress of peace and comfort through the bond with his father.</p><hr/><p>Jay wakes up slowly to the smell of flatcakes drifting into the bedroom. This is a wonderful way to wake up, Jay decides, to the smell of <em>food</em>. Jay smiles and stretches and looks at the other bed where Kasen usually sleeps to find the bed neatly made. His brother was either never there, or he was already awake. Kasen was meticulously clean. It’s really helpful, especially when Jay needs to borrow a napkin.</p><p>Jay sits up, enjoying the light coming in the window to his right. They must have let him sleep in. Or they figured he would get up with the lure of morning meal. They’re right. He’s hooked.</p><p>He dresses in a small neutral blue tunic, with a charcoal gray sash that Padme got him for his birthday tied around his waist. It’s a pretty silk. He just put on his boots over his tan pants when he feels someone approach and there’s a knock at the door.</p><p>Jay slips open the door and sees Uncle Cody smiling down at him.</p><p>“Ba’vodu!” Jay gives him a hug around the waist. He is rewarded with the Cody Hug. Two pats on the back.</p><p>“Hungry? Food’s ready.”</p><p>Jay wiggles excitedly at the announcement. It’s such exciting news.</p><p>“Did Uncle Ani make Flatcakes?”</p><p>Uncle Cody tilts his head. “How’d you know?”</p><p>The answer is obvious. “Because he loves flatcakes and he’s better at making them then Dad is.”</p><p>Jay hears a guffaw from the kitchen, feeling amusement and fond annoyance in the force. What? It’s the truth. And Dad never sprinkles in sweets like Uncle Ani does.</p><p>“Jaytin!” He hears Dad yell. Jay smiles. Uncle Cody smiles.</p><p>It’s going to be a good day.</p><hr/><p>Mom, Kasen, Aunt Padme, and Leia weren’t at morning meal. They all got up early to eat and head to the senate for whatever it is they do there. Jay wasn’t listening, something about terrorists and Separatist sightings in the Outer Rim and questions about Grievous. Jay instead watched with apt attention the sweet syrup dribble on his flatcakes until Dad stopped him and took the syrup away.</p><p>“You want some flatcakes with your syrup?” Uncle Ani remarked. Jay just grinned, scooping up a big bite. Sometimes he keeps pouring syrup just to see how much he can get away with. He always licks it up afterwards anyway. He’s not one to waste.</p><p>Dad made them all meditate before going to train, making the argument that it<em> is</em> part of training. Which, ugh, it <em>is</em>, but that doesn’t mean Jay wants to do it right now. It’s not that Jay doesn’t like meditating, it’s centering and insightful, but it takes <em>time</em> and it’s harder to do when he’s excited.</p><p>Dad had felt Jay’s thoughts through the bond and put him in his place.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter how you are feeling, Young one, you should be able to meditate in any condition. It is paramount for a Jedi,” he lectured.</p><p>Jay sighed despondently and sat close to Dad. He’s right. Jay will be better. Uncle Ani gave him a pat on the knee, sending understanding through one of Jay’s many bonds. Uncle Ani was never happy about meditation.</p><p>Now Jay stretches in the private training salles with the other Jedi of the family. He watches Tal’ia start a kata, the sweeping of her green blade graceful and mesmerizing, like a dance. It’s pretty.</p><p>“Do you recognize which style that is, Jay?” Dad asks.</p><p>“Of course,” Jay says, “It’s Ataru.” It’s the fun style.</p><p>“’Of course,’ he says. Such confidence, Jay,” Uncle Ani admonishes, and Jay second guesses himself.</p><p>It is Ataru, isn’t it? It’s the jumpy, flippy, hitty, one. That’s what Tal’ia is doing, but is it? Could it be Djem So, or… or, what could it be? Jay scrutinizes his sister’s moves with a scrunched-up face, feeling upended and discombobulated.</p><p>What is it? He thought he had it. He’s been studying all the styles but has only practiced Shii-Cho and Soresu so far. And nobody really cares about Makashi. He hasn’t gotten to Ataru yet, so maybe he doesn’t really know. Is it Ataru, is it a new stretch, is it some kind of pretty dance, what’s she doing, what does Uncle Ani mean, who am I—</p><p>“Stars, dad, look what you’ve done. You’ve broke him,” Luke chastises, “Calm down, Jay. It’s Ataru.”</p><p>Oh. How cruel.</p><p>Jay pouts up at Uncle Ani, giving his most wounded look possible and channeling his inner tooka kitten, “How could you do this to me?” Jay whispers.</p><p>Uncle Ani just ruffles his copper hair and laughs, “So dramatic, little one. Let’s see if your acting skills are as good as you saber skills.”</p><p>Jay sighs dramatically, “Probably not, ‘cause I’m am an exceptional actor.”</p><p>Tal-ia laughs from across the room, and Jay turns with an affronted look. Does she dare doubt his skills? She’s not impressed, he can tell.</p><p>“You’re a fine actor, Jay. But a terrible liar,” she clarifies.</p><p>Jay huffs. Is that such a bad thing?</p><p>“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Dad starts, hand raised.</p><p>Thanks Dad.</p><p>“Honesty is a trait of all great creatures, and sometimes has to be learned. Right, Anakin?”</p><p>“Right, Master.” Uncle Ani chirps.</p><p>Dad huffs, and Jay feels for him. Even Jay knows that Uncle Ani can be a pain in the bum when he wants to be. And Jay has already been attacked viciously today.</p><p>“You’re lucky, Little Jay, that honesty is not another thing you have to learn. But learning how to step around the truth… well, you already know how to do that,” Dad finishes with a fond smile.</p><p>Jay smiles innocently up at Dad, “I have no idea what you’re insinuating, father.”</p><p>“That’s my boy,” Dad praises, laying a guiding hand on his head, pushing him towards the mat.</p><p>“Anakin, can you watch Jay’s form?” Dad addresses Uncle Ani, “Maybe you can see something.”</p><p>“What, is Little Jay tired of you already, Old Man?”</p><p>Dad’s eyes glitter dangerously at the challenge, and Jay is <em>ready. </em>He watches the exchange, smelling blood in the water. He wants to see a <em>fight</em>, a fight between Masters. It would be <em>wicked</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Ani sends Jay straight into the mat, and all of the air leaves his lungs. He heaves with a giggle and rolls back up.</p><p>“Ready for more, Little Jay?” He taunts, the inquiry real.</p><p>“Of course, Uncle Ani!” Jay launches himself back in.</p><p> </p><p>Dad goes through Soresu with him because Dad is the best at it. Everyone says so. Master Cal says so, Aunt Ahsoka, even Uncle Ani. And Jay sure believes it, he’s seen Dad spar and use practice droids, Dad moves like the force itself.</p><p>Jay may not be ready yet for the other lightsaber forms, but Dad wants to ensure Jay has a proper preliminary defense against blasters, the most common of weapons.</p><p>“Again,” Dad orders, starting the droids.</p><p>Jay gulps when twelve droids take aim.</p><p> </p><p>Hours later, Jay is absolutely exhausted, but feels proud and strangely energized. Like all that movement tired his muscles but revitalized his spirit.</p><p>Now he lays flat on his back on the mat, just breathing deeply with his eyes closed. Part of him wants to be carried out, but he’s getting too old for that. He needs to walk out on his big boy legs. Too bad growing up is so tiring.</p><p>He feels Luke standing above him and opens his eyes to see him leaning down over his face.</p><p>“You alright there, buddy?” Luke asks.</p><p>“Yeah,” Jay sighs, “Tired.”</p><p>“I bet. Let’s get going, Leia called and dinner’s ready.”</p><p>Jay smiles. <em>Food</em>. Food after training is a gift from the stars. Luke extends his hand and Jay clasps it. Jay is hauled up and nearly stumbles, legs like one of those newborn banthas. Tal-ia is there to steady him.</p><p>“You did well today, Little Jay.” She smiles and ruffles his hair.</p><p>Jay ducks away. What’s with everybody and his hair? Is there a “please touch my head” sign somewhere? He smiles anyway, proud of the praise.</p><p>“Jaytin, your saber?” Dad prompts, hand extended.</p><p>Jay frowns, feeling put off and sad to let it go, but he hands his saber to his father, who clips it next to his own.</p><p>“Satine still won’t let him keep it with him?” Uncle Ani asks.</p><p>Jay looks down, feeling shame for a reason he can’t name. He’s been good, he doesn’t see why Mom thinks it’s such a bad idea to let him carry it around like the rest of the Jedi. Padawans younger than him get to carry them, and it’s not like Jay has shown he’s irresponsible. Jay knows the implication and honor that comes with the saber. It’s a big deal and he takes it seriously, like the force itself.</p><p>Dad sighs and does that thing when he’s frustrated and tired and pushes his hair back. Jay knows he doesn’t agree with Mom, and they have argued about it before, but Mom wouldn’t budge. And Dad knows when to back down. Jay doesn’t blame him.</p><p>“No,” Dad sighs, jaded, “Of course not. He has to wait like Kasen and Tal-ia did.”</p><p>“It’s not so bad,” Tal’ia offers. Jay doubts.</p><p>With a raised brow, Jay can tell Uncle Ani also doubts.</p><p>“What happened to ‘this weapon is your life’?” Luke asks, skeptical, as he ushers them out of the salles.</p><p>Jay walks next to Dad, sad that he knows where this is going to go.</p><p>Dad scoffs, “You try telling that to the Duchess of Mandalore.”</p><p>At least Jay can be comforted by the fact that Dad is the one that holds his life in his hands. Or, at least at his hip, where Jay walks and listens to his kyber sing.</p><hr/><p>It’s at dinner that Jay takes a chance.</p><p>“Mom, can hold my own saber now?”</p><p>Mom’s face tightens and Jay knows that he asked too soon, but he’s willing to chance it in case she says yes this time. Who knows, maybe he’ll lucky.</p><p>But her eyes are stern and lock onto his vulnerable soul and Jay suddenly regrets everything.</p><p>“Satine—,” Dad tries to save him, ever the savior, but Jay’s soul has already been weighed and found wanting.</p><p>“My eleven-year-old son will not carry a weapon,” Mom states, final, “Kasen and Tal-ia had to wait too. It’s only fair, now.”</p><p>“But it’s not just a weapon, Mom,” Jay is just digging his grave deeper now, but hey, might as well, “it’s my life.”</p><p>That was the wrong thing to say. Dad winces and Mom looks angry. “It most certainly is not! Your life is not a weapon!”</p><p>Dad tries to placate again, “Dearest—,” but she turns on him.</p><p>“Obi-wan, you know how I feel about this, do not go telling our son such things!” She looks betrayed and Jay hates that he brought this up, he doesn’t want them to fight. Especially at dinner. He was going to lose his appetite.</p><p>Aunt Padme picks up her dishes, “I think we’ll clean up dinner.”</p><p>Everybody except Mom and Dad stands, knowing to clear out. How awkward. Jay stays sitting feeling guilty and responsible. This is his fault and he’ll face the consequences.</p><p>“Mom, it’s fine. Forget I asked. I was just hoping…”</p><p>“Sweetheart,” Mom sighs, looking far too tired but she pulls back her emotions, “I understand that you are young and too excited to wait. I don’t like that you have a saber at all, but I also understand that it is a part of being a Jedi, and I will not take that away from you or your father. It will come. Only two more years.” Mom stands and gives Jay a tender kiss on the forehead. He feels loved, so thanks Mom, but Jay is hardly appeased.</p><p>Dad notices, because hey, he could probably feel it. But Dad’s words don’t help. “Little one, I know you want it now, but think of this as a lesson of patience.”</p><p>Patience? This isn’t about patience. Jay isn’t learning anything about patience right now, except that next time he’ll watch his words before he causes problems again.</p><p>“It’s not that I <em>want </em>it, Dad.” Jay tries to articulate, but shame makes it hard to get the words out. It’s if I’m worthy of it, he wants to say. He’s going to need it, Jay <em>knows</em>. Dad must feel that too.</p><p> “<em>Then what is it?”</em> Comes through the bond with his father. Jay shakes his head; he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. This has taken too much of the evening, and really, it’s ruining the mood.</p><p>“<em>Can we have some tea before bed?” </em>Jay sends back, clearly dodging the question with all of the grace of a newborn bantha, but he hopes that Dad’s never-ending quest for tea will take precedent.</p><p>It doesn’t, but Dad gives the “we will come back to this later” look, and acquiesced.</p><p>“Alright,” Dad moves on, “Now, let’s hope they finished the dishes before we get to the kitchen.”</p><hr/><p>Mom tucks him in tonight. She hums a song in Mando’a and leaves another kiss on his forehead.</p><p>“You’re growing up,” she says.</p><p>Part of Jay wants to raise his brow, unimpressed at the statement, because, well yeah, of course, that happens. It’s not like he has a say in it.</p><p>“I know,” Jay mumbles, with a sigh, “It’s so tiring. And it takes a while.”</p><p>Mom laughs, and Jay feels a bit better.</p><p>“Most say it doesn’t take long enough.” She comments.</p><p>Yeah, all adults say that. And one day, Jay knows he’ll come to that realization too, but right now he’s small and ready to <em>go</em>. He’s really not in a hurry to grow up, but he wants to achieve things that actually feel valuable. That’s hard to do.</p><p>He puffs in response and Mom pets his copper hair back before standing.</p><p>“Where’s Kay?” Jay asks. His brother wasn’t in bed yet and Jay wanted his brother in the room. He didn’t feel like sleeping alone tonight, but he didn’t want to ask, and sound scared. Jay is too old for that now.</p><p>Mom gives an amused smile, “Arguing with Leia.”</p><p>Humph. Politicians.</p><p>“Go to sleep, it’ll be a nice day tomorrow.” She turns off the lights and leaves Jay to his thoughts.</p><p>For some reason, Jay’s not so sure. He nuzzles into the blankets, trying to settle, but it’s hard. He doesn’t want to go to sleep.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Jay ran through the woods, people he didn’t know alongside him. He could hardly feel their terror in the force, but he could see it the way they sprinted desperately away from... something. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jay knew they were running from something dangerous, but it was dark, and he couldn’t see very well. All of his focus was on seeing where he was going and hoping that everyone could keep up and follow him. His forces senses were so muffled, it was so strange to run blindly without the force to guide him, but he was their safest bet at escaping alive. </em>
</p><p><em>He could only barely sense the danger around him, it was hardly a twitch when a blaster bolt flew out of the darkness in front of him and hit one of the green twi’leks running just next to him in the thigh. They went down with a screech, and everyone halted, huddling close to each other. Jay stumbled to a stop and looked on in despair. Huddling together like this was only going to make them an easier target. And Jay didn’t want to make it </em>easier<em> for their hunters to catch them.</em></p><p><em>The Twi’lek groaned in pain, crawling backward, and glaring up at Jay as if it was his fault. And perhaps it was, he should’ve been able to feel it and protect them, but he just </em>couldn’t. <em>The force was too scratchy and wobbly around him, with the unhelpful presence of danger, and he didn’t need the force to know that this was dangerous. His face hurt and felt wet with tears as he frantically searched for some sort of guidance.</em></p><p>
  <em>The force twitched again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Move!” Jay screamed and fumbled in front of the huddled group, but their reactions were too slow and too confined. The Twi’lek was shot again, in the center of his chest. Jay felt his death in the force.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The group screamed, but Jay tried to focus only on the force.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It twitched again as on object landed in front of them and then—</em>
</p><p>The force screams. Jay rolls out of bed, away from the window, lunging across the room just as—BOOM—the wall is blown open. Pieces of shrapnel, transparisteel, and debris fly through the air, and Jay shields his face the best he can. Dust circulates violently and he can barely see. The night lights of Coruscant offer little help.</p><p>Jay makes the mistake of breathing in and starts to cough. He can hear shouting from the other rooms, and his Dad hammering on the bond with the rest of the family force sensitives, which is very distracting. It sends him reeling, so many in his head at once that he can’t concentrate on what’s happening right in front of him. So, he shuts it out, and he tries to stand.</p><p>Then danger pings again. He dodges to the side when an arm reaches out to grab him, but he’s too slow. A figure in Mandalorian armor hauls him up by his arm.</p><p>Normally, he would be comforted by Mandalorian beskar'gam, it was part of his heritage, but he would be a fool for not noticing the sigil for Kyr'tsad. <em>Death Watch</em>.</p><p>For all of Mom and Aunt Bo’s work, Death Watch was still a problem, and Jay hated them. They were terrorists bringing shame the Manda name, causing nothing but pain and suffering for no real reason, in Jay’s opinion. There was a rumor that it was them causing those attacks on Mandalore, but Death Watch was hard to pin down, now that they started affiliating with the leftover terrorist organization that came out of the Separatists. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.</p><p>Jay gulped, staring up into the buy'ce, the helmet, where he could see no compassion whatsoever. There was none in the force either. It really wasn’t good.</p><p>The Mando dragged him forward, but Jay pulls back because he has no intention of making this easy. Jay simply refuses to be an easy target, because why would he wanna do that? That’s foolish.</p><p>He gathers up the force, but a <em>second</em> Death Watch Mando steps into what was left of his room and stalks towards them. Using the force, he had gathered, he shoves that one right out the window, like flicking a fly off his cloak.</p><p>That Mando had a jet pack. As long as they knew how to use it, they would be fine, Jay reasons.</p><p>Then the hold on his arm tightens and jerks and the Death Watch Mando curses very vilely in mando’a and hauls him into their arms, crushing Jays back into their chest. Jay squirms and struggles, because this is highly undignified, as his dad would say, but then the Mando shoves something hard into his neck. It pricks and ouch, that stings, please stop.</p><p>It spreads cold, numbing, and Jay. Did. Not. Want.</p><p>Jay squirms again and reaches for the force again, but it trickles away, water through his fingers. And my, that’s the most terrifying thing. For the first time ever, his other sense of the world just falls away, and he can’t feel Dad.</p><p>Jay panics, shrieking in terror for the first time since he was a small youngling. He really had to make it clear. He. <em>Did. Not. Want.</em></p><p>The Mando ignores it, and Jay does <em>not</em> welcome the way their grip is crushing him to the chest armor. Jay moves an arm to hammer on it, but his body doesn’t quite move the way he expects it to. It was sluggish, and through his panic, Jay finds the world is oddly swelling like he was looking at a reflection in ripping water instead of the real thing.</p><p>The Mando reaches the hole in the wall, and Jay slows his struggling and stares enraptured as the nightlife on Coruscant paints swirling flowers. Jay loves flowers.</p><p>He loses feeling in his limbs and hangs limp, head resting back on the Mando’s shoulder.</p><p>“That’s it, jet’ika, let go,” the Kyr'tsad Mando rumbles, tense, the words vibrating along Jay's shoulder. </p><p>Jay’s eyes droop. The numb cold has turned pleasantly warm all over. He can’t move and really, it’s so hard to move, that he no longer wants to. But he kind of wants to vomit, cause the world is swaying in ways that it has no right to. He wonders how the big bad Mando would feel with vomit all over his armor.</p><p>That nausea doesn’t last long, which he is grateful for, as the world around him is also moving farther away, sinking away into a dream. Good riddance. The world is clunky and loud anyway.</p><p>Jay jerks, and it takes him a good second and a half to realize that it’s because the Mando has launched them into the air with his jet pack. It brings back some coherence, especially with the cold air of Coruscant chilling his warm skin. He groans because he can no longer scream, and he’s terrified of the height and lack of control and the swirling blurry lights far beneath him. He tries to look back home and can barely make out the figures of his family in what used to be his bedroom, too far away.</p><p>He can barely to hear Mom and Dad scream before his eyes close and he floats away.</p><hr/><p>Obi-wan would have jumped right out of the hole in the wall had Anakin not grabbed him around the waist.</p><p>“You’re too old to be doing that, old man!” Anakin shouted, loudly into his ear.</p><p>While the comment on his age was not appreciated, and he was still in good enough shape to go driving out of windows, the Death Watch member was already too far away by the time they had even reached the bedroom. In a way, Anakin was right. He wouldn’t have made the jump. But neither would have any of the younger ones without help in a two Jedi force assisted jump like he used to do with Anakin in the war.</p><p>There had been explosions through all of the windows of the apartment. The force sensitives in the family had seconds of warning to get to or provide cover. Obi-wan, still sitting at the table with Satine, threw himself over his wife before the windows shattered. Fortunately, Satine is used to unexpected cover by way of her husband’s body and didn’t question it. They both rose quickly, experts in functioning in these sorts of situations. Between looking through the pandemonium, making sure that the closest family was alright, they didn’t get to the boy’s room in time.</p><p>And Jaytin quieted all of the bonds.</p><p>So now, Obi-wan watches rather helplessly, feeling numb as his youngest son hangs limply in the arms of the enemy and rapidly disappears into the night sky. Barely a speck in the night. Satine cries next him, and he wraps an arm around her instinctively, ever ready to give comfort.</p><p>The rest of the family comes into the room taking in the damage, feeling the pain.</p><p>He had thought, that he was finally allowed to have something for himself, when he married Satine. He had the happiest times of his life, raising his children with Anakin’s, but it seems his luck strikes again. A cruel lot in life, Obi-wan was meant for heartbreak. It seems he doesn’t deserve this, his family, if it’s being taken away. It leaves an aching hole in his chest, this thought. His son taken right from underneath them.</p><p>It was Cody barking orders into a com that snaps Obi-wan from his depressing thoughts and reminds Obi-wan of his greatest lessons. What is he doing? Standing here while an enemy abducts his son. That’s never stopped him from springing into action before. He must be getting rusty. He can’t afford to be rusty.</p><p>He is a Jedi. Here and Now, don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. He needs to act fast.</p><p>He lets go of Satine and resumes position. They already have one lead. Death Watch.</p><p>“Cody, contact Coruscant Guard. Get all the policing services you can.”</p><p>“Yes, General.”</p><p>General. Obi-wan is suddenly shocked at the title. Cody hasn’t called him that in years, he’s practically part of the family. His children even call him their uncle. But Cody must think it appropriate, and Obi-wan would rather feel like a general right now than a worried father. A general wouldn’t hesitate where a father might.</p><p>“Luke, contact the temple. If they have anyone free to help, send them.”</p><p>Luke nods and dials a com. Obi-wan looks to Tal-ia and sees her already talking on a com to Ahsoka, so he moves on.</p><p>“Kasen, stay with your mother.”</p><p>“Yes, dad.” Kasen replies and starts to pull Satine out of the ruined room, his own saber at his hip. His middle child is not a Jedi, he wants to be a diplomat like his mother, but he is trained with a yellow saber like the Peacekeepers. Staying with Satine would be the best course of action. Except Satine is not one to stay idle either.</p><p>“I’m calling Bo-kat. She will help. Mandalore will be with us.” Satine says, only the wobble of her voice betraying her anger and sadness. Obi-wan is once again filled with love at her strength. He nods and is interrupted from making more orders by Padme.</p><p>“Naboo will be with you as well, to the best of our ability. You have my support.” Ever the diplomat, Obi-wan is grateful. But hopefully, they’ll have Jaytin back before it comes to needing planetary support.</p><p>Obi-wan continues forming a plan. </p><p>“And Anakin—Anakin?” Anakin is no longer in the room with them. “Where is he—?”</p><p>“Get in, old man!” He hears his brother shout.</p><p>Anakin is driving a speeder, hovering casually outside of the broken wall. He gestures to the passenger seat with a flourish.</p><p>“Now, you can jump out the window.”</p><p>“Always on the move,” Obi-wan comments fondly.</p><p>Obi-wan hops shotgun and gives Anakin a truly grateful look. He is glad his former padawan is more on the ball right now than he is.</p><p>Understanding comes across the bond between them. Anakin is good at understanding the need to protect family, he always has been. There’s also a lot of anger. He’s about as angry as Obi-wan is devastated right now, that a part of the family has been put in danger. But Anakin had gotten a handle on handling his emotions. Raising a family has healed a lot of his wounds and Obi-wan no longer worries.</p><p>They zoom off into the hazardous nightlife of Coruscant, a planet that never sleeps. Anakin is breaking numerous speeder laws, as always, but Obi-wan doesn’t feel like stopping him. The cool night air is refreshing and is clearing his head, pieces of hair smacking into his forehead. He takes a moment to look into the force, searching for Jaytin. But there’s nothing.</p><p>“You can’t feel him either, can you?” Anakin asks over the wind, likely feeling the train of thought.</p><p>“No,” Obi-wan says, a lump in his throat making it harder to speak. “He’s not dead. They wouldn’t have taken the body. This was planned.”</p><p>“I agree,” Anakin says, “He’s on force suppressants then. Has he ever been deprived of the force before?”</p><p>“No. He was terrified. I felt him slip away.” Obi-wan barely gets out, feeling particularly helpless.</p><p>Anakin offers comfort over the bond, and that steely determination of his that Obi-wan always admired. He soaks it up and sends a thanks back through the force and builds up some determination for himself.</p><p>It’s then that Obi-wan notices that he’s been holding Jaytin’s lightsaber in his right hand this whole time.</p><p>This weapon is your life, he thinks, staring down at the lonely saber. For not the first time in his life, he hopes he’s wrong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comment if there are any ideas.<br/>I like fun things.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Death Watch Ship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Obi-wan is surprised by Cody and despairing over the loss of his little son. Jay has a not fun time on the Death Watch ship.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Obi-wan is getting antsy. It’s been a ten-day and they didn’t find any leads on where Death Watch had gone. He and Anakin flew all through that night with nothing to show. They were too late to catch the trail while it was still hot, but Coruscant guard was on the watch for it now, and there were Jedi looking for leads, and Ahsoka showed up in the morning after with Rex, ready to throw hands with Death Watch. They just needed… they just needed something to follow.</p><p>Satine’s sister has some of her best men out there, looking through Death Watch communications, but nothing yet showed any promise. Bo’Katan is their best source so far, but neither Obi-wan nor the rest of the family feels like sitting pretty until something shows up.</p><p>Obi-wan has been strangely twitchy, and he knows that Cody was keeping an eye on him, but Cody left days ago (likely asking Anakin to watch him instead as Obi-wan can feel Anakin’s gaze constantly, and Obi-wan appreciates the support, but really, he’s an adult and perfectly capable of looking after himself, thank you very much).</p><p>He is having trouble finding any kind of balance. He knows better than to stand around and worry, Jedi training doesn’t really allow for that, but Obi-wan has always been a worrier. It’s what Master Qui-gon tried to teach out of him, and it was only moderately successful.</p><p>Believe it or not, but family was helping. Standing together has helped take some of the worry weight off of his shoulders. It makes him feel glad that the Order has changed. He would have felt guilty for allowing anyone to help bear the weight.</p><p>Speaking of the Order, he had just met with the Council. Now an announcement has been sent out among all Jedi, that his son was missing. It’s a bit embarrassing, but so far everyone has offered their support. Plo pulled him aside and told him to feel no shame asking for help.</p><p>He almost laughed in despair. Obi-wan, despite what he told Jaytin at Dex’s, often has trouble asking for help. But Plo was sincere and Obi-wan felt lighter hearing it from him.</p><p>“Obi-wan!”</p><p>Obi-wan looks up and realizes he’s walked out of the temple. Anakin is calling from a speeder.</p><p>“Get in, Cody’s back on Coruscant.”</p><p>Obi-wan gets in the passenger side, feeling slightly out of it, “Already? Where did he go anyway?”</p><p>“You don’t know?” Anakin asks, confused.</p><p>“No, that’s why I asked,” Obi-wan responds dryly, “Do you know?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Anakin.”</p><p>“What? We’ll find out in a minute anyway.”</p><p>“A minute? Just where—d” Obi-wan loses his words in a yelp when Anakin decides to start driving at typical Anakin Speeds.</p><p>“And just where did Cody ask us to meet?” He inquires when words are formable again.</p><p>“The hanger. He asked me to pack,” Anakin bluntly answers.</p><p>Obi-wan feels dread, “He asked <em>you</em> to pack?”</p><p>He hopes that Anakin at least remembered to be practical. He doesn’t want to find more droid parts in his duffle bag again.</p><p>“Well, it would have been you, had you been back home but you were at the Temple. So, I took up the laborious task for you. You’re Welcome.”</p><p>“Thank you. I’m sure it was well worth the drudgery.” Obi-wan responds, dry as desert sand, “Well, whatever trip Cody has planned, I hope it isn’t long.”</p><p>“On the contrary.”</p><p>“Meaning what, Anakin?”</p><p>“Just a feeling,” He shrugs.</p><p>Obi-wan sighs, “That doesn’t answer anything, Anakin.”</p><p>Anakin shrugs again and smiles, that smug smile. “The force holds all answers, Master.”</p><p>What a pain Obi-wan has raised.</p><p>Anakin parks the speeder in a hanger and Cody comes over to meet them in… in… is that 212<sup>th</sup> clone armor?</p><p>The army, now more of a reserve, has received different armor in the past couple of years. The war is technically over and there is little use for a standing army in the Republic, but the GAR still exists in various forms, especially since there is Separatist terrorism still wreaking havoc. However, the original armor is no longer in use since the reserve army is no longer made up entirely of clones.</p><p>Obi-wan had no reason to expect a revival.</p><p>Yet Cody’s armor appears clean and repainted, his helmet under his arm. Obi-wan stares, trying to compute the change as his body moves on autopilot to get out of the vehicle.</p><p>“Cody? What is going on here?” He asks, astonished.</p><p>Cody, the bastard, ignores him, “You packed your bags?”</p><p>Anakin stands proudly, “I sure did.” Such a pain.</p><p>Cody nods, with a strange grin that fills Obi-wan with wary suspense, “Good. Grab them, we’re taking a ship to the <em>Negotiator</em>.”</p><p>Obi-wan stops computing and stares rather dumbly at his old Commander.</p><p>“The <em>Negotiator</em>? Here?”</p><p>Cody scoffs and waves him forward, “Of course not, General, it’s in orbit.”</p><p>General again. Obi-wan puts up a hand, stopping him there, “Cody, there’s no need to call me General.”</p><p>Cody stares, eyes scrutinizing yet delicate. Even without the force, Cody could always read him well, and Cody sees something that Obi-wan can’t.</p><p>“On the contrary,” There’s that phrase again, “And Both the 212<sup>th</sup> and the 501<sup>st</sup> are already on board. And I think Luke scrambled his way up there too. Bullied Fives into it.”</p><p>Obi-wan is shocked. “What? How—d?” He wasn’t expecting this. Anakin looks just as flabbergasted and stares mouth open. At least he isn’t the only one caught off guard.</p><p>“They’re on duty? In the old armor?” Obi-wan manages. Almost two full sentences too. He feels vindicated with the fact that Anakin has yet to manage a word.</p><p>“For you, General? Always.” That strikes Obi-wan right in the heart.</p><p>Obi-wan struggles to understand, “Cody, what’s all of this for?”</p><p>Cody looks him in the eyes, but Obi-wan feels it in his soul. Cody has a certain strength to him that few men possess and Obi-wan has always been marveled by it. “To find your son. The boys are pissed to all the Corellian hells that the Little Ankle Biter is missing. Let’s get on board, General.”</p><p>Obi-wan is so grateful to have a friend like Cody, but he stands there computing until Cody leads him with a guiding hand on his back onto the boarding shuttle, with Anakin nipping excitedly at their heels.</p><p>“How—how did you get all this, Cody?” Obi-wan manages eventually.</p><p>“I am still an officer of the GAR. Your old ship wasn’t doing anything important at the moment, so I called in a few favors. Got <em>lots</em> of volunteers,” Cody responds with a rogue grin that appeared some years into raising Obi-wan’s first son, Kasen.</p><p>Obi-wan stands in the ship, tangled his thoughts, Cody at his side radiating satisfaction and determination. Anakin is nearly vibrating with excitement on the other side, and it’s vaguely contagious. Obi-wan doesn’t want to get his hopes up just yet, but he can’t help but feel a tiny glimmer of warmth begin to grow in his chest.</p><hr/><p>Jay wakes slowly, feeling like he has to pee and throw up. Not necessarily in that order or at the same time. Is this what drugs feel like? Stars, what’s the point if he wants to <em>die</em> afterward. And pee. And it’s probably not a good time or place to do any of those things.</p><p>He rolls over and groans. Jay remembers what happened and he almost doesn’t want to wake up and face the result. He would much rather wake up to the smell of Uncle Ani’s flatcakes and Ba’vodu at the doorway. But Jay doesn’t want to be a coward. Dad would open his eyes and face this like a true Jedi.</p><p>So, Jay opens his eyes to take in the damage. He frowns. Where’s the torture chamber? The interrogators? Is none of that on the table? Jay tries not to be disappointed. At least they had the decency to tie his hands.</p><p>He’s definitely anxious about what’s to come but a small empty metal cell with a light blanket and a ray shield is not <em>that </em>intimidating. And really, the blanket is quite thoughtful.</p><p>But problem; how is he going to pee? Not in his sleep clothes, that’s for sure. That’s very undignified, and he wants to keep his dignity thank you very much.</p><p>Does he chance asking whoever is out there for a chance to use the ‘fresher?</p><p>He stands, which is slightly harder than he expects it to be with his hands tied and is about to open his mouth when the shield lowers. A bucket is thrown in and bounces off the wall with a noisy clang.</p><p>The shield goes back up and a Kyr’tsad Mando in the blue and gray Kyr’tsad armor stands imposing behind it.</p><p>“For your business.”</p><p>Oh. Wonderful, Jay thinks. I’ll take it. And now is a chance for questions.</p><p>“Where are we going?” Jay asks, hoping for any kind of information.</p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know, Jet’ika.” The Mando responds.</p><p>Jay blinks, confused, “That’s why I asked. Do you not know?”</p><p>The Mando scoffs, “Of course I know.” He leans forwards as if he is going to share a secret, and Jay is unimpressed.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, jet’ika, it’ll all be over soon.”</p><p>“How ominous,” Jay remarks, with a word he likes, and takes a step towards the Mando.</p><p>They jump. With an angry noise that Jay thinks came from the throat, the Mando turns to stalk away.</p><p>“<em>Jedi always make me jumpy,”</em> the Mando mumbles in Mando’a and shakes his head.</p><p>“<em>Well, that’s not our fault,</em>” Jay responds.</p><p>The Mando jumps again and stares at Jay as if he had spoken a different language. Jay imagines that if he could see the face, that they would be shocked.</p><p>Jay is insulted, “<em>What? You don’t think I know my own birth tongue</em>? <em>Just who did you think you were capturing?</em>”</p><p>“<em>Kenobi’s son. Your heritage with that Duchess is false.” </em>And blah blah blah, Jay hears.</p><p>Now Jay is really insulted, “<em>That’s not fair. I didn’t realize that there is only one way to be Mandalorian. That’s not the Way”</em></p><p>“<em>I’ll teach you to be Mandalorian!” </em>the Mando sneers and turns off the ray shield again.</p><p>Now Jay is scared.  He scrambles away from the Mando lumbering towards him, and picks up the blanket, throwing it at the Mando. What a sad day it is, when the only weapon is a weathered blanket.</p><p>Yet an effective weapon it is. The blanket gets caught on the helmet, and with a remarkable roar, the Mando struggles to throw it aside in frustration.</p><p>Jay makes a break for the shield-less exit and runs face first into more Beskar’gam. His head makes an impressive clanking noise against the steel and a pair of arms clamps on his upper arms, holding him securely in place. Jay looks up nervously into another buy’ce. Blast it all.</p><p>“<em>You fool, you almost let the little Jedi escape!”</em> The new Mando yells, “<em>Get out of the cell!”</em></p><p>That Mando stomps out. What a child.</p><p>Jay frowns, once again disappointed. He was so close. He wiggles in the grip, but the Mando turns on him instead and tightens his grip painfully, before throwing him back onto the blanket. That’s gonna leave a bruise.</p><p>The shield ignites again, and Jay sits on his bum and pouts petulantly as footsteps sound farther away.</p><p>This is terrible. He’s alone in hostile territory, like all the stories that Dad and Ba’vodu share with him at bedtime. Which now that he thinks about was probably not good bedtime story material. But this is not how he thought it would feel. He’s teetering between terrified and confident. It’s so unpredictable and he doesn’t like it.</p><p>He wants to feel the force again, which he is still beyond him. How frustrating. That’s the scariest part of the situation. The force would make this all more bearable.</p><p>And Dad. Dad would make this all more bearable. He’s good at this. He does this all the time. He wouldn’t be scared, and he would make everything better.</p><p>Tal-ia would help too. And Luke. And Ba’vodu. And Uncle Ani and Auntie ‘Soka with Uncle Rex. Even Kasen and Mom. Force, he wants his family so badly.</p><p>Jay takes a stuttering breath and realizes that he’s crying. He wipes at the escaped tears and hopes nobody is listening.</p><hr/><p>Jay doesn’t how much time passes, but it’s been more than a couple days. When one Kyr’tsad Mando came by not too many days ago to put force suppressing collar on him (the injection was wearing off) and untie his hands (he still doesn’t know why they considered that). Jay heard it had been about a week and they were halfway to their destination. Lovely. He still doesn’t know where or why he’s going there.</p><p>Either way, he is stuck in the weird in-between of bored and scared. They give him some bars for food and some water at the same time (at least he thinks they’re the same times) every day, so he’s not starving. He tried meditating because that’s what Dad would do, but without the force, Jay just didn’t have the patience. Sitting silently just didn’t have the same appeal.</p><p>He’s taken to tracing symbols on the floor, but even that doesn’t fill enough time. And it’s not like he wants Death Watch to come and visit and keep him from getting bored. He hopes Dad finds him soon so he can—oh</p><p>The ray shield buzzes off and a ration bar comes flying in, landing on the trusty ole blanket. They don’t seem to like getting close to him. And hey, if they had been sitting in a cell for over a week without a proper wash, he probably wouldn’t want to get too close to him either.</p><p>He picks up the bar and doesn’t see the next projectile. A thin metal bottle comes flying — BONK. Oof, right in the noggin.</p><p>“Ow!”</p><p>Jay rubs at the sore spot, hoping it doesn’t leave a bump. The Mando laughs at him, turning the shield on and Jay resists the urge to respond. It will likely get him more hurt. And his water taken away.</p><p>He munches angrily on the ration bar and leans back against the metal cell. After he finishes the water, he sets the bottle in front of the shield. Might as well make it easier for them if they were so against getting close to him.</p><p>When the shield lowers, there are two Mandos this time. Jay watches with wary interest. Two is too many to clean up a bottle and a wrapper.</p><p>“How would you like to get out of your little cell, jet’ika?” One of them asks.</p><p>What kind of question is that? Of course he would! Is this some sort of trick?</p><p>Suspicious, Jay narrows his eyes, “Why? Are you offering?”</p><p>The second one snorts, and Jay’s suspicion levels rise.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m offering,” The first one says, “For a little exercise, whadoya say, Jet’ika.”</p><p>Why, I would love some exercise, Jay thinks, but you, my friend, well… you’re not my friend, and I do not trust you. Yet, what choice does Jay have? There is the chance that this isn’t a yes or no question, and that there is only one answer and it’s the one Jay doesn’t want to give.</p><p>“Alright,” Jay allows, tentative, “where are we going?”</p><p>The Mando beckons him out of the cell and Jay feels vaguely like an animal being led. As a last-second thought, he picks up the weathered blanket to take it out of the cell with him. The Kyr’tsad members stare at him, and he can just tell they’re judging him harshly for it.</p><p>“Aren’t you too old be carrying a blanket around like a Youngling,” one of them taunts.</p><p>Jay lifts his chin, “Oh, am I?” He challenges, clutching the blanket closer to his chest.</p><p>They chose not to answer, and Jay judges them harshly for their cowardice.</p><p>“Aren’t you too old to be afraid of a Youngling?” The comment slips like venom off Jay’s tongue.</p><p>One them grabs the back of his neck and slams him face-first into cell’s metal walls. He cries out, too hurt and surprised to think about it. The impact on his nose makes stars burst in his vision.</p><p>“And you’re not too young to learn some respect,” the Mando grits out into his ear.</p><p>I doubt I will learn respect for you, Jay wants to but doesn’t say.</p><p>They lead him out into the hall, which is just as boring as the cell. All gray metals. They really need a new interior decorator; all of these ships are terribly dull.</p><p>His nose throbs and he scowls fiercely all the way down the hall, his soft steps drowned out by heavily armored footfalls. Starting another conversation would ruin the sound and would probably be very unwise.</p><p>“Is there any chance I could get a wash? Your hospitality has left me sorta smelly.”</p><p>“Don’t you know when to shut up?” The one that didn’t smash his nose sneers. The voice is female.</p><p>Jay raises an eyebrow, “So, you didn’t let me out of my cell to enjoy my company?”</p><p>This is actually some useful information about what’s happening. They don’t want Jay to talk, so thus far, not an interrogation. Is that good? Probably not. Jay worries.</p><p>The Mando grunts. The male that smashed his nose. Jay frowns again since a grunt is hardly an answer.</p><p>Once again Jay wishes he had the force. The collar he has on is blocking him from it, so he still can’t feel his family and he can’t get a read on these Kyr’tsad Mandos intentions. Or any warnings of danger.</p><p>His grip tightens on the blanket, getting some comfort from it. He wasn’t a blanket youngling, he liked stuffed animals, but now he might reconsider. This blanket is remarkably comforting. Nice and huggable. </p><p>They arrive in what would be an empty space if not for the crowd of armored Kyr’tsad Mandalorians, there probably just to ruin Jay’s stay in this humble abode. Jay’s suspicion levels rise to peak levels, alarm bells sounding off in his head that are likely due to instinct and caution, and not the force. He eyes them all wearily, as they clear a path for him to the center of the crowd, where they have formed a circle.</p><p>Jay usually likes circles. It’s a decent shape. But he likes them much less when they’re being used by hostile combatants.</p><p>The Mandos holding his shoulders let him go, releasing him to the lions. A Mando steps in front of him. Suspicion levels have hit the maximum.</p><p>It’s the One Who Smashed His Nose.</p><p>“I want first dibs. He disrespected me.”</p><p>Jay does not <em>want</em>. His eyes sweep the crowd around him, piecing it together and searching for help. He finds none. Dread blooms in his stomach, making him nauseous.</p><p>Did they bring him here for a fight? Really? Jay is surprised that he isn’t surprised. Mandalorians like to test their combat skills. However, this is more like entertainment than training, like the brutal Colosseum shows on Geonosis. Death Watch is acting disturbingly barbaric. No wonder Mom is so disgruntled by their actions.</p><p>But Jay isn’t in the mood for a fight. He has been sittin’ pretty in a cell for who knows how long, eating drab ration bars and napping. Not only is he unprepared, but he is also likely outmatched. A fully grown combat-ready Death Watch Mando armed to the teeth versus an eleven-year-old-almost-padawan without the force. Even Jay knows those are not good odds. In fact, those are terrible odds. Jay may even be scared. In fact, Jay is scared. Oh dear.</p><p>Jay stands frozen solid in the center of the fight circle, blanket clenched close. The Kyr’tsad Mando in a ready stance, ready to pounce like a Nexu. He gulps, eyes wide and the Mando perimeter seems amused. They laugh at him and point. He squirms, anxious to drop his eyes to the floor in shame but unwilling to take his eyes off the predator prowling in front of him.</p><p>Oh force, what does he do? Run? Hide? Take a beating? Beg?</p><p>What would Dad do? Well, first, obviously, he would calm down. Dad is great at calming down.</p><p>How is Jay supposed to calm down at a time like this? Deep breaths, I g<em>uess</em>, Jay thinks and sucks in a breath. Wow, he was really hardly breathing.</p><p>Focus. Jay sinks into the mindset that he is going to fight back, the acceptance puts everything into sharp clarity. He sees the Mando rush him, and slides underneath his arms, coming out the other side.</p><p>They begin to circle each other, and Jay makes a mental list of advantages that he has. Smol and fast boi. That’s about it. Short list. He’ll have to make do.</p><p>Be smol and be fast, and boi would be okay. Ba’vodu used to tell him something like that when they did the basics of hand to hand combat. Paraphrasing, of course.</p><p>His opponent comes at him again, trying to grab him and Jay dances quickly away, a feather in the wind, the blanket still clutched close to his center. His saber footwork is coming in handy, who knew?</p><p>“Stay still!”  The Mando roars, obviously easily frustrated when his prey doesn’t lay down and die. He only tried twice…</p><p>Jay scoffs, “Why would I do that?” Ugh, these warriors have no patience.</p><p>The Mando rushes recklessly at him a few more times and Jay stays just out of his hands, slipping out from under fingers and dancing away. Ugh, these warriors have no strategy either. Really, Jay had expected better from battle-hardened Kyr’tsad.</p><p>Unfortunately, Jay wasn’t watching his perimeter. He stalked too close to the crowd, where a Mando shoves him forward. Off-balance and teetering towards his enemy, he wasn’t able to slip away when gloved hands smash into him, slamming him onto his back on the floor.</p><p>An opportunity offered, the Mando pins him down, forearm cutting into the neck. Jay gasps for air, terrified once again, drops the blanket and scrabbles desperately at the arm. He just wants to breathe. He likes breathing. Please.</p><p>The Mando leans down and whispers, deadly, “Not so tough now, are you, Jetii?”</p><p>Hmm, Jay thinks in the haze of fear, when did I graduate from jet’ika to Jetii?</p><p>He scrabbles, desperate, starting to cry. Tears leak embarrassingly from his eyes in front of the merciless warriors. This is the opposite of a good time.</p><p>He <em>wants to breathe!</em></p><p>His hand finds the blanket and Jay changes tactics. He whips it up into the buy’ce, somehow managing to loop it around the helmet. He yanks as hard as his eleven-year muscles can to the side, unbalancing the Mando's hold on him. He slips out from underneath the angry cruel beast to roll back to his feet enough of a distance away.</p><p>Oh no. He dropped the blanket. It’s right at the One Who Smashed His Nose’s feet. Jay wants it back. It’s comforting and effective.</p><p>The beast roars upset that his prey managed to evade him again. Jay whimpers upset that this predator wants to hunt him again.</p><p>The beast rushes at him and Jay rushes underneath the seeking arms and rolls. He comes back to his feet next to the blanket, right where he wants to be. He picks it up.</p><p>“You and that blanket, youngling!” The beast snarls.</p><p>“Oh, now I’m a youngling? What happened to Jetii?” Jay yells back.</p><p>The crowd shifts uncomfortably. Jay feels a rush of fury. These are supposed to be Mandalorians. They are hardly even men.</p><p>The beast lunges, going in for a punch. Anger makes Jay heady with overconfidence, blurring his thinking and rushing hot blood through his muscles. Instead of dodging, you know, the smart thing, Jay tries to parry the punch. He is successful, despite the pain of the deflection, but there is too much momentum for his tiny body, and he doesn’t regain control of his backward motion in time to catch the next blow.</p><p>It strikes hard across the cheek and Jay’s teeth bite into the soft flesh of his mouth. He falls on his side and tastes iron.</p><p>He’ll realize later how lucky he was that he didn’t lose a tooth.</p><p>The beast lunges down at him, going for another pin, but no thank you. Jay doesn’t want another pin. He rolls away just in time, scrabbling with the blanket in his panic.</p><p>Jay runs around the circle, wishing to escape. He’s terrified. His face hurts, it feels both numb and painful. He’s bleeding. His mouth is leaking blood and he doesn’t know whether to swallow it or spit it out. Would that be rude?</p><p>He’s being chased, the beast prowling after him. Jay dodges erratically. He can’t see the face of his tormentor behind the buy’ce, but he could imagine the look of smug victory. The prey is injured and desperate, it’s time to finish the kill.</p><p>Hands grip him again and Jay thrashes frantically, tiny arms waving and body bucking like a fish out of water. He manages the get them both off their balance and they both meet the floor hard. Jay kicks him away and he hears a pained grunt from his opponent. Jay scrabbles back to his feet, trying to untangle the blanket that wrapped around him. Oh, how the tables have turned.</p><p>The beast gets back to his feet and pulls out a small blaster, aiming it at his prey. Jay could almost feel the trajectory between his eyes.</p><p>Acting on fear and instinct, Jay lashes the blanket out, the same way Kasen used to use a towel to torture Jay in the bathroom. The blanket strikes like a whip, hitting the blaster. It had a different effect than what Jay had expected. He <em>expected</em> that he would, at the very least, make the Mando miss the shot. And at the very most, he <em>expected</em> to knock it out of the Mando’s hand.</p><p>What happened <em>instead</em>, was that the blaster exploded.</p><p>Huh. Death Watch must have terrible blaster care, Jay thinks as he is blown back off his feet. Ba’vodu would be absolutely peeved at that chain reaction.</p><p>Sound blasts through the small room and heat bursts out from the impact point, feeling like fire against Jay’s uncovered face. The Mandos are knocked back, protected by armor, and the beast groans on the floor.</p><p>His ears ring as Jay lays stunned on his back. Smoke is wafting around him, and something is burning. Did he win? Is everything good now? He turns his head with a groan.</p><p>Oh. The blanket is on fire. Jay’s first thought at that spectacle is, “Oh no, my blanket!”, a though Jay never thought would be relevant lying on a floor surrounded by Death Watch. Although this trusty blanket has proven to be an effective weapon. Who knows, maybe he will consider training in the arts of cloth combat. Jaytin Kenobi, Blanket Master.</p><p>He rolls over swiftly and smothers out the fire on the blanket as quickly as he can, because he wants to save his best form of comfort and defense. The other Mandos just yell at each other over the commotion. Death Watch is not as efficient as Jay expected them to be. But they regroup in time for Jay to save his blanket from a fiery end and haul him up.</p><p>He snarls at them, a sound he didn’t know he could make, when they try to pull the blanket from his death grip. There are so many around him, circling like predators. Jay is trapped and skittish, and he can’t even tell each Mando from another. A blur of beskar’gam.</p><p>A hand digs painfully into his shoulder and hits something odd, making his muscles tingle, and Jay loses all feeling in his one arm. He screams like a scared youngling when another yanks the blanket out from his hold.</p><p>They restrain him, arms behind his back, their hands gripping his shoulders as they frog march him back to his cell. He’s dizzied, from the adrenaline and being beaten, and he puts up a little less of a fight when they toss him in the cell like a sack of tubers. He rolls and returns to a crouch, still afraid and keyed up. He watches them with the keen eyes of a nexu.</p><p>Almost as an afterthought, they toss the scorched blanket in at him, landing in front of him in a slightly burnt heap. They turn on the shield, and Jay releases some of his tension as he hears them stomp away, allowing his shoulders to slump and his bum to touch the floor.</p><p>Fools. They gave him back his best form of defense. And his best form of comfort, as he wraps the blanket around his little body and sits back against the cold unyielding cell walls to nurse his wounds.</p><hr/><p>Days after that event, Jay still sits alone. The Kyr’tsad Mandos are angrier with him now, going between paying him a wide berth and actively harassing him. Jay has a few more bruises from them aiming the food rations at him or throwing him around the cell. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve this, but he supposes that maybe he shouldn’t have fought so hard in the fight circle. Maybe he should have just taken it.</p><p>But then he would be in even worse shape. Is there even a right answer? What would Dad have done? He doesn’t think Dad would have wanted him to get beaten, but Dad also knows when it’s better to wait for the moment to fight back. Jay doesn’t know.</p><p>Would letting them beat him down mean that he’s given up? Jay doesn’t want to give up. Mom says hope is the last thing to fail and the most important thing to keep. Guess that means he has to keep fighting, no matter what. Do what’s right and keep his strength. He just didn’t realize how hard it is to be strong when it hurts so bad.</p><p>The cell lurches. Jay is rolled away from the wall where he must have fallen asleep and hits his head on the metal floor. Jay has had enough of the recent relationship between his skull and metal objects. He sits up and the cell banks again. Jay slides across the floor like he’s on ice, the blanket offers no traction.</p><p>Who’s flying this thing? What’s happening?</p><p>“<em>Slavers!</em>” Jay hears in mando’a.</p><p>Jay’s insides go cold. That can’t be good. Jay doesn’t like slavery. Although most sentients don’t like slavery. Except slavers.</p><p>Kyr’tsad Mando’s run by his cell. “Zygerrians!”</p><p>No, no, no, not Zygerrians! Uncle Ani <em>hates</em> Zygerrians. And Dad doesn’t like Zygerrians either, but of course, neither of them have told him <em>why</em>, other than the obvious. That they’re Slavers. There’s definitely more to that, but they gave the standard, “we’ll tell you when you’re older”. So, this really can’t be good.</p><p>Death Watch Mandalorians versus the Zygerrian’s burgeoning Slave empire. Who would win? Jay thinks it depends on how many Mando’s are on this ship.</p><p>He doesn’t think they have enough. And there’s nothing Jay can do, clutching a blanket in the corner of a cell. Safe, yet vulnerable behind a shield.</p><hr/><p>Obi-wan stands looking over the bridge of the <em>Negotiator</em>. The ship is being manned entirely by clones, multiple battalions showed up when prompted by the 212<sup>th</sup> and 501<sup>st</sup>. He was pretty sure he saw Wolffe at some point in the hallway. It’s likely Plo is offering more help than Obi-wan was made aware of.</p><p>Now he watches the clones run the equipment on the bridge. The ship has been drifting in the general vicinity of where the Death Watch had seemed to be heading, but there was no real direction for them to go.</p><p>It’s been three weeks and there has been no sign of Death Watch or of Jaytin, his littlest son.  He doesn’t even want to think about what they could be doing to him. He’s too young for this, not even Anakin had experienced anything like this as an eleven years padawan, at least, after he was freed from slavery at nine.</p><p>Obi-wan didn’t feel he had taught Little Jay enough yet, not about the force or how to deal with hostile situations. His poor child must be terrified. Like when he felt Jay slip away in the force that night, the last thing that came through the bond was the shrill fear of a child. It made his heart ache.</p><p>Cody comes up beside him. Obi-wan sighs, worried and Cody put a comforting hand on his shoulder, something that probably would not have happened during the war. Years together has crossed thresholds. This is the man Little Jay calls Ba’vodu.</p><p>“Your wife is on the coms,” Cody announces bluntly.</p><p>Anakin snorts from somewhere behind him. Oh, how the tables have turned. Obi-wan turns back to glare at the nuisance.</p><p>“You wouldn’t want to keep your wife waiting, Master,” the nuisance remarks.</p><p>Obi-wan glowers and goes to stand by a holo communicator, “Put her through.”  </p><p>“Obi!” Satine’s voice scares him and Obi-wan jerks. He wasn’t expecting the volume.</p><p>“Yes, Dear?” He replies softly, hoping it will counteract it.</p><p>“I was just on a com with Bo-Kat. She’s had her teams searching all over and she had a man on the inside of Death Watch for a while now.”</p><p>“Why didn’t I know about this?” Obi-wan cuts in. He feels like it would be relevant information.</p><p>“Let me finish. He couldn’t blow his cover and he’s not on Jaytin’s ship, but he was able to hack communications. His intel has Death Watch taking Little Jaybird to the Separatist Terrorists.” She cries out, distressed.</p><p>The world moves under Obi-wan’s feet, but with pure determination he force’s it to still.</p><p>“Oh, dear,” he manages. Cody curses beside him. The bridge around him is silent, and it makes the hole inside him feel all that larger.</p><p>Satine sucks in a deep breath, pulling herself together and Obi-wan suddenly wants his wife with him, though he pushes that thought aside. She is better where she is now. She would distract him, and she would hate being on a warship.</p><p>“He didn’t learn anything more,” she gets out, “I can only imagine what they are planning to do with him. My thoughts are for bargaining or as a hostage. But if Grievous is still out there and holding a grudge…”</p><p>Obi-wan doesn’t even want to think about that but he nods, and moves forward, “Does Bo-Katan or her intel know where that ship went?”</p><p>Satine nods, “Her spy has been working on locating it. Just recently he tracked it down and it was in the Sertar Sectar, in the outer rim not too long ago.”</p><p>Obi-wan goes to make orders to the bridge but numbers already being inputted by his men. He loves them. Such great men. He catches Cody’s eye and Cody gives him a nod. It fills Obi-wan with a little more confidence.</p><p>He turns back to his wife, “Thank you, dear heart, we will investigate.”</p><p>Her eyes plead with him, “Please, Obi, find him.”</p><p>The com cuts off and Obi-wan heaves a heavy sigh, running a heavy hand down his face. He senses Anakin behind him and is grateful for the comforting hand his brother places on his shoulder.</p><p>“We’ll find him,” Anakin murmurs.</p><p>“Not soon enough,” Obi-wan mutters back.</p><p>Obi-wan has a bad feeling about this.</p><p> </p><p>When they arrive in the system a little later, where after some meager searching they eventually find the remains of a Kyr’tsad ship, scattering debris all over the stars.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope people are enjoying this. I sure am.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Just slave problems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jay has an unpleasant time as a slave, and it only gets worse. Is Dad on the way? Yes. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan hasn't made much progress.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ship rumbles angrily around him, and Jay clutches the blanket in a death grip. The cell around him banks and jerks, and Jay does his best to stay in one spot, but it’s a lot harder than he anticipated, and sometimes he goes rolling around like droidekas. It’s not nearly as fun as he thought.</p>
<p>The banking stops, but the angry thunder that booms down the hall into his cell continues. His cell continues to grumble and groan, and Jay huddles in wary anticipation. And then it all stops.</p>
<p>Jay much preferred rolling around a trembling cell than the sudden stillness that takes over the ship.</p>
<p>He gets up and crouches, on edge, ears listening and eyes staring intensely at the shield keeping him caged.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Jay is starting to hate silence.</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Thump.</p>
<p>Thump.</p>
<p>Thump.</p>
<p>Footsteps. But friend or foe…</p>
<p>On second thought, Jay reminds himself that he has no friends in this scenario.</p>
<p>He worries with the intensity of trapped tooka, heart racing in his rib cage, and sweating. Jay waits to see who comes for him, keeping his blanket close to his chest. Should he do something? <em>Can</em> he do something?</p>
<p>Racking his brain, he’s too nervous to even remember any of the stories Dad and Ba’vodu tell him when he wants to hear their adventures. He’s behind a shield, caged like an animal, and someone is coming!</p>
<p>The strange feline helmets appear in front of the shield, predatory and cruel. They stare in, raking their gazes over Jay and he tries not to tremble. One smiles, all sharp teeth glittering in the dim light. Jay can’t see their eyes.</p>
<p>“Add this one to the stock.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jay is still not having a good time. One imprisonment to the next. At this rate, if he had a credit for every time he gets imprisoned, he might have enough to buy a milkshake at Dex’s before the year is up. Wow, if only he was being paid to sit in a cell.</p>
<p>Strange thoughts for Jay to have as he is being walked into the depths of yet another ship with holding cells.</p>
<p>“What’s your name, boy?” A slaver asks.</p>
<p>Jay contemplates the consequences of not answering. It would probably bring him a lot of unnecessary pain.</p>
<p>“Jay.” Short, sweet, and does not in any way imply relations to a well-known Jedi. Hopefully, that won’t come up anytime soon.</p>
<p>The slaver snorts, “Stupid name.”</p>
<p>Jay frowns.</p>
<p>They stop in front of lowly lit grimy cell, one with metal bars, instead of the shield that Jay was now accustomed to as a prisoner.</p>
<p>I think I’ve been downgraded, Jay frowns. Then something catches his eye.</p>
<p>There’s movement in there. There are <em>people</em> in there. There are <em>a lot</em> of people in there.</p>
<p>He’s going to be in there.</p>
<p>Horror clogs Jay’s throat as he sees sentient beings of many species huddling and shivering in the dim light of the dirty cell. Their arms are bound, some their legs as well, and a few have blood crusted upon their meager clothing. Jay watches them cluster together in fear as the slavers amble closer, and he’s suddenly glad that he can’t feel them in the force.</p>
<p>His attention is snapped away from the new slaves when a Zygerrian speaks.</p>
<p>“Look at the collar,” She points it out.</p>
<p>Please don’t look at the collar, Jay thinks and shrugs his shoulders up as if that would cover the ring around his neck.</p>
<p>“Yes, it’s one used on force sensitives,” another smiles, terrible and predatory, “This one will fetch a much higher price.”</p>
<p>A more macabre part of Jay’s brain ponders if he should be proud of his high monetary value.</p>
<p>A hand suddenly winds its way through his hair, and he is startled out of that thought. He tries to lurch away but the hand grips tight at the strands and holds him taught. He lets out a small yelp. It hurts.</p>
<p>“And look at the color of his hair, rare on humans.”</p>
<p>Hey, his monetary value went up again.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian laughs, “We’ll have to keep it nice, our buyers like pretty things.”</p>
<p>Jay also likes pretty things, but somehow the Zygerrian doesn’t make it sound all that pleasant. He bunches in on himself. He has never felt so exposed and he hugs the blanket to his chest.</p>
<p>“Take that cloth away, we need to get these other binders on him.”</p>
<p>Jay’s eyes widen at the order, wanting to keep this one thing to himself, but there are Zygerrians on all sides. Hands grip at him, forcing him into simple binders even as he struggles and—<em>tingles—</em>pain zips through him and he jerks violently.</p>
<p>One gets their greedy little slaver hands on his blanket, yanking it away from him, and Jay is too focused on the blanket to realize he had just been shocked with the lowest setting of an electric rod.</p>
<p>“No, please!” Jay pleads, strangely attached to the blanket. He grabs for it.</p>
<p>The plead is ignored. The Zygerrian sneers cruelly, “This dirty rag?” He waves it around like he’s evaluating its quality, “Is it yours?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Jay cries. It may as well be.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian smiles, the bait is taken, “You don’t own anything anymore, boy. You don’t even own yourself.” He places both hands on either side of the blanket. Jay knows what is going to happen next, but he wishes with all his heart…</p>
<p><em>Riiiiiiip</em>. The blanket is torn in two, a jagged trench of torn threads between two halves. Jay shutters a breath, eyes suddenly feeling wet. There’s a loss deep in his chest.</p>
<p>It was just a blanket. But… Jay couldn’t help but feel as if was something more. Like a companion. It helped him, guarded him, comforted him. Like a friend. And now…? It’s like something was torn from himself.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian sneers again, the look ugly and terrible, and shoves Jay in with the other trembling prisoners. Jay stumbles but then watches as the slavers shut him in, tearing fabric into tiny shreds.</p>
<p>It was just a blanket, Jay tells himself as tears begin to fall, it was just a blanket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jay, due to his small size and “pretty visage”, is told that he going to be a serving slave. The rest of his life, supposedly, will be carrying and presenting food, drink, and other goods to his masters.</p>
<p>At first, Jay didn’t see how that could be that bad. Serving food? How bad could it be?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Jay miscalculated. This is because Jay did not understand the difference between a server and a slave until the moment that he realized he was one.</p>
<p>The Zygerrians dropped him off with some seamstresses and they dressed him up all pretty. Mom probably would have thought it cute, the white silky shirt and a beige dress tunic with green embroidery. They gave him white tights too, which Jay had never worn before and needed help getting them on. Lastly, they gave some flat slipper-like brown shoes. They were surprisingly comfortable.</p>
<p>What Jay was uncomfortable with were the answers the women dressing him gave him.</p>
<p>“Are you slaves?” He had asked, as they stripped him quickly.</p>
<p>“Hush, child!” The one dark haired human woman admonished. She looked worried. “Do not ask questions.”</p>
<p>Jay tilted his head so the shirt could go on. Dad told him he should always ask questions, “Why?”</p>
<p>“Child!” A Twi’lek woman hissed, but not unkindly, “Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not enter until called.  Do not leave until dismissed.”</p>
<p>Jay’s eyes widened, trying to understand where this was coming from. Is this protocol?</p>
<p>“What?” He said shakily when they yanked him down to put on the tights. The human woman grabbed his shoulders to look him in the eyes.</p>
<p>“Child, your life has changed,” She said hushed and with importance, hands expertly working the tights, “Listen here and listen well, and it might not be so rough. Serve your masters with attention. Know what they want before they know what they want. Keep your eyes down and do not speak unless they give you permission. Do not run and do not hide. Understand?”</p>
<p>Jay nodded jerkily. Suddenly Jay thinks that there is more to this serving slave job than he thinks.</p>
<p>Shoes on, with a spin and push, he was ushered to the next room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Concerned and more than a bit scared, Jay faces the slaver instructor with a few of the prettier looking sentients, likely those he had arrived with on the slave ship. Two female twi’leks, a male togruta with a feminine jaw line and high cheekbones, and a female human with long blonde hair that reminded Jay of Tal-ia’s hair before she cut it for the season.  </p>
<p>“Here are some preliminary instructions for the rest of your life as a slave,” She announce, as if it is announcing safety procedures on a commercial flight to Coruscant.</p>
<p>The rest of my life, Jay thinks. Really? Oh no, oh no no. Not at any point of my life, thanks. There are more fulfilling things to than forced labor.</p>
<p>“You will not look your masters in the eyes, you are beneath them,” She glances at all of them, and no one dares to look her in the eyes.</p>
<p>Jay looks down and tries not snicker. He’s been beneath nearly everyone except Master Yoda for all of his life. As long as the Zygerrians are taller than him, he should be fine.</p>
<p>“You will not speak. A good servant is a silent servant, until your masters ask for your voice.”</p>
<p>That’s what the ladies said when dressing him up. He’s all dolled up for servitude. Lovely.</p>
<p>“There is no escape. If there is an attempt, you will either be punished or killed. If we cannot find you when you are called, you are considered disobedient. You will either be punished or killed. You are slaves, now, you understand.”</p>
<p>Jay didn’t understand. He knows slavery exists, but he doesn’t quite see the point and other than what he knows about Dad and Uncle Ani, he has no experience with it. No one wants to be a slave as far as he can tell. Slavers shouldn’t be able to force people into it. Jay speaks up, speaking for everyone in the room.</p>
<p>“But this isn’t right. We don’t wanna be slaves.”</p>
<p>Pain blooms across Jay’s face as the Zygerrian strikes him. He should have seen the blow coming, but he didn’t expect that level of violence. The blonde lady next to him gasps.</p>
<p>He staggers back with a yelp and the lady places a hand on his back to steady him, but the Zygerrian grabs him and pulls him away from her by the elbow and hisses into his face, “Insolent brat, you will learn your place,” And with that, Jay is struck again and pushed back in line. The lady is struck as well, instructed not to interfere with another slave’s punishment.</p>
<p>He wants to rub his face, but he worries how the slaver will react. So, he remains silent and so does the lady, the side of her face red as well.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian seems to sense their compliance and smiles, “Good, you’re learning. You might just survive.”</p>
<p>Instruction begins again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Words cross his head, the lessons he learned from both the seamstresses and the Serving Instructor.</p>
<p>“Keep your eyes down.”</p>
<p>“You will not look your masters in the eyes, you are beneath them.”</p>
<p>“Do not speak unless they give you permission.”</p>
<p>“You will not speak. A good servant is a silent servant, until your masters ask for your voice.”</p>
<p>“Do not run and do not hide.”</p>
<p>“There is no escape. If there is an attempt, you will either be punished or killed. If we cannot find you when you are called, you are considered disobedient. You will either be punished or killed.”</p>
<p>The only difference between both sets of instruction were the intention. The seamstresses were giving him advice out of worry, looking out for him. The instructor was being brutal and clear, warnings and information for the fruitfulness of their products.</p>
<p>Besides the bleak future ahead of him, Jay did see the determination of the slaves to look out for their own. It wasn’t a trait amongst all of them, as there were always the one or two that was more than happy to rat on other slaves for their own gain and favor, they were few and alienated from others.</p>
<p>Later that day, after preliminary instruction from the instructor on how to be a slave, the serving slaves swept up the new little group and absorbed them into their ranks. They seemed used to training newcomers on how to work and survive, and they didn’t seem to mind Jay at all. They answered his questions and gave him some advice, some of which was once again telling him to stop asking questions. Though they clarified that it was only for among the slave masters. Never speak to a master, ever, unless they ask you to.</p>
<p>Jay heard this a lot. He thinks he gets it now.</p>
<p>He even made some friends, he thinks, as he lays on a bed mat between a gray haired elderly human woman and a male twi’lek in his late teens. They were the ones who took him immediately under their wings, guiding him the most and telling him the best advice.</p>
<p>Shala was in her late 60s and had been a slave for almost 15 years now. She was Hutt property, before she was sold away from her family to some wealthy Zygerrians. She doesn’t know what happened to her children.</p>
<p>Jay told her he hopes they are freed now, but she only smiled and nodded, handing him the rest of her bread.</p>
<p>Kimi was 19, and a green twi’lek from Ryloth who got caught when he was 14. Shala had helped him acclimate and taught him how to survive. Jay saw him as a calm free spirit with a little bit of fire, and he reminded Jay of Tal-ia. Kimi hasn’t seen his family either, but he thinks they weren’t caught as he was on Ryloth.</p>
<p>Just before sleep hours, Kimi brought out a small ball for them to play with. Without the force, it was more difficult than Jay thought, and Kimi was an expert at balancing a spherical object on his head. He was trying to teach Jay how to do it, but Jay could only keep it up for a couple seconds so far. Kimi must be cheating somehow. Maybe it’s because of the dip in his brow.</p>
<p>Now Jay lays between them, a thin blanket covering all three of them. It’s only been a day and they had no problem at all making sure he felt as safe as he could be as slave.</p>
<p>So far being a serving slave hasn’t been so bad, but then again, it’s only been a day. Jay thinks the worst has yet to come.</p>
<p>For the next few days, Jay and the newcomers had to spend some instruction time for protocol, taught by the mean Zygerrian instructor. After being hit that first day and being chastised by Shala a couple more times about talking back, Jay kept silent and listened. He followed instruction, and his training from Dad and the other jedi meant that Jay had learned some natural grace. It led to some uncomfortable praise from the instructor, but she also said that he learned quickly and should survive well when chosen or bought by a master.</p>
<p>Jay wondered once again if he just brought up his monetary value. Is that really something to be proud of?</p>
<p>After that, instruction was done, and the rest of the learning was through experience and whatever else he could learn from the other slaves. Jay was beyond grateful for Shala and Kimi, as they kept him from getting distracted and calmed him down when he got angry. Especially the days he watched other slaves pay for their mistakes.</p>
<p>After days of instruction, Jay learns more about what it means to be a slave on his first day in servitude.</p>
<p>For first meal, Jay races to the serving lines. The cooking slaves place several dishes across the counters and Jay picks a platter and a meal, just as Shala and Kimi showed him. It was all the same dish, just so the new slaves could learn how to present and not worry about bringing the wrong food to the wrong master. That was only after some later training, of course.</p>
<p>The rest is just protocol and mechanics, simple for now. Stand up straight, look up but not at any masters, and walk briskly. No running but don’t be too slow and carry the platter up high, but not too high. They won’t be punished yet if they carry the platter with two hands, but the better serving slaves walk with one hand carrying the platter and one hand behind their backs. It looks proper and posh.</p>
<p>Then, present the food and place it in front of the master, and bow. Wait for dismissal. Then leave with the same manner as entered, only without the food on the platter.</p>
<p>For the first day thus far, Jay has done this without issue. Well almost without issue. He performs without issue, but Jay does have a problem with the bow.</p>
<p>Don’t get him wrong, Jay bows all the time in Jedi training, but bowing to the masters is the perfect opportunity for them to praise him for his looks. They seem to have a profound fascination with his hair, and when he bows or even walks by a Zygerrian master, they take a hand and run it across his head. He absolutely hates it. The first time it happened in the early morning, he flinched and was struck across the face. The meals and food serving after, he learned to let it happen.</p>
<p>Sometimes they just tightly weave in their fingers, sometimes it’s just an obsessive caress. The worst is when they grab him by the strands and pull him towards them. They are surprising gentle with the pull, Jay thinks they don’t want to rip it out of his head, but he reasonable uncomfortable with any action regarding his hair.</p>
<p>It’s just hair? Right? These people are weird.</p>
<p>They even gave him special soap to wash it with. That’s just plain over the top. It just needs to be clean.</p>
<p>Although he wasn’t the only serving slave with a hair problem. There was another.</p>
<p>The third meal on his first day, Jay is on his way out of the room after serving the slave masters and hears a roar of outrage.</p>
<p>“Slave scum! How dare you!” The Zygerrian shouts, standing abruptly and yanking a human female slave by the hair.</p>
<p>Jay watches, confused. The slave master had blue milk dripping down his pants. Another Zygerrian stands.</p>
<p>“What did she do?” She asks, strangely excited. Jay thinks she just smells blood in the water.</p>
<p>The slave master yanks on the lady’s head again, hair bunched in his fingers, “She poured the drink on my lap!”</p>
<p>The slaves around Jay shuffle uncomfortably. “That’s not what happened,” One mutters. She was one of the twi’leks that showed up with Jay.</p>
<p>Jay leans close and whispers, “What happened?”</p>
<p>The twi’lek leans back, “He pulled on her hair and she missed.”</p>
<p> It seems the slave was pouring blue milk into a goblet when a slave master pulled on her long blonde hair. She missed the goblet and poured some onto the table. It dripped off the edge and onto the slave master.</p>
<p>Jay face contorts in anger. Then this is unjustified.</p>
<p>“Then what shall you do?” The Zygerrian prompts the milk covered slave master, leering with a smile.</p>
<p>The slave master yanks the woman to the center of the room.</p>
<p>“She shall be punished!” He announces to the room.</p>
<p>“No! Please, it’s not my fault!” The blonde lady shouts. She’s ignored. Jay is starting to wonder if this was planned. What better way to scare the newbies than to give them a presentation?</p>
<p>The slave master drags her by her hair to the end of the room, where she is grabbed by guards.</p>
<p>“Should the other slaves be put away?” One guard asks, gesturing to the crowd of slaves watching in horror.</p>
<p>“No, let them watch what happens when they fail on the job,” The slave master responds, final.</p>
<p>The job? Jay frowns, they’re not getting paid. Unless he missed something somewhere, in which he should get right on that. But he’s pretty sure the very definition of slavery implies a distinct lack of compensation.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian sneers, and Jay is getting tired of seeing their faces display nothing but contempt. Don’t these people ever show any real happiness? What a terribly bleak life a slave master lives.</p>
<p>The woman is forced to the ground, where Zygerrians keep conveniently placed shackles for these kinds of things. Either Zygerrians are overly prepared or every reputable dining hall has shackles available. Jay does not like the implications.</p>
<p>The slave master brings out a whip, luckily one that was not electric. The guards take off her shirt, very delicately considering the circumstance. Maybe they didn’t want to damage any good clothes, since they were pretty for serving slaves. However, they had no problem damaging the lady.</p>
<p>The whip rises in the air, and slams forward. A hard smack against her back and she shouts. Although, the second time, she only let out a small whimper.</p>
<p>Jay’s stomach is sick. This is torture, isn’t it? It’s cruelty! He sees her face, contorted in pain and determination.</p>
<p>She was that blond woman that arrived with Jay. She tried to help him too when he was punished. Jay goes to race forward and help, but Kimi grabs him by the shoulder and hugs Jay back against him. Jay wiggles, this is no time to be manhandled.</p>
<p>“No,” Kimi whispers, “You cannot interfere.”</p>
<p>Jay wants to shout at him, but Kimi tucks Jay’s face into his chest so he can’t get a sound out. He can’t watch anymore either, but he can hear the blonde lady’s whimpers turn to screams and back to whimpers, as she is cries over spilled milk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kimi and Shala walk him back to the slave quarters for food and rest, their hands on his shoulders. Shala breaks the silence.</p>
<p>“One of the worst things a serving slave can do is spill something.”</p>
<p>Jay’s anger rises, fire into his chest, “It’s not right! She didn’t mean to! He pulled on her hair! It was an accident.”</p>
<p>Shala shakes her head at him, “There are no accidents.”</p>
<p>Jay turns on her, halting them in the hallway as other slaves continue on for food.</p>
<p>“What, so it’s just the will of the force?” He shouts, “The will of the force for all these people to get hurt? It can’t be! It’s not fair!”</p>
<p>Shala pulls him close to her for an embrace like Kimi forced upon him earlier, “Hush child.”</p>
<p>“Hush?” He yells, muffled against the fabric of her shirt, “How can I be quiet about this?”</p>
<p>He feels her sigh, so deep and weathered, and he hugs her back.</p>
<p>“I know, child. But you must.”</p>
<p>“Why?” He murmurs.</p>
<p>She hums, “There isn’t a choice now. Such is life.”</p>
<p>He quiets and lets Shala and Kimi take him to eat. He knew being a slave was going to be rough, but this isn’t fun at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jay isn’t hungry, feeling sick to his stomach after that display in the dining hall, but he takes his portion anyway and discretely wraps it in a napkin for later and stuffs it in his shirt. Slaves aren’t supposed to take any food out of the kitchens, but no one important seems to be looking. It’s just in case he gets hungry when he’s trying to sleep.</p>
<p>Shala and Kimi notice that he doesn’t eat, but they don’t say anything. They do, however, make him finish his water which he allows. It would not do to get dehydrated in a place like this.</p>
<p>He’s grumpy for the rest of the evening, walking with arms crossed and a pout, so Shala puts him straight to bed. He doesn’t protest. Not too much anyway. He could have protested more but decided it wasn’t worth giving Shala the trouble. Jay is kind that way.</p>
<p>Jay lays on the bed mat, looking at the door. Kimi is off talking to other slaves and Shala is sitting quietly by the little window that ventilates the room.</p>
<p>The blonde lady hobbles in, limping at the pain. Some other slaves get up and help her sit down, and Jay feels a little better that they help each other like this. One of the outdoor slaves, an older human man that Jay hadn’t seen before gets out a little plant.</p>
<p>Curious, Jay gets up off the bed mat and comes closer to watch. He tilts his head, fascinated as the outdoor slave crushes the plant in his hands and lays the pulp on her bloody back.</p>
<p>“Did you get something to eat?” A blue twi’lek asks quietly. There is a sacred silence in the air that no one is willing to break.</p>
<p>“No,” She whispers, “They closed the kitchens.”</p>
<p>Jay frowns, angry again. These slavers couldn’t even let her eat? That’s so rude! How are they supposed to get anything done if their hungry! How do these slavers expect to sell good slaves if they damage and starve them! Nothing about this place makes sense. None of it is fair.</p>
<p>The other slaves look away. They don’t have any food for her.</p>
<p>Jay creeps up and pulls a bundle out of his clothes, and places it in her hands.</p>
<p>She looks into his eyes, about to ask, but he beats her to it.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t hungry,” He says quietly.</p>
<p>A slave sitting in the back speaks up, “Taking food out of the kitchens is forbidden.”</p>
<p>Jay shrugs nonchalantly and smiles at the blonde lady anyway, “Than I suppose we shouldn’t talk about it.”</p>
<p>Then he goes back to bed.</p>
<p>The next day, things are going along alright. For first meal, the blonde lady, who introduces herself as Livy on the way to pick platters, is still expected to serve even through the terrible wounds that map her back.</p>
<p>Livy is from a planet Jay had never heard of, and Basic is not her first language. It gives her a fascinating accent that Jay us captivated by, and he tries to get her to talk more.</p>
<p>She told him about herself, and her culture which he thought was very strange. She smiles a lot and likes to laugh, which Jay only encouraged. She is only 22 years old and she misses home.</p>
<p>After delivering first meal without any issue, Jay noticed she had a slight limp. She told him the pain eased on her wounds if she put less weight on her left foot. Weird.</p>
<p>Jay huffs the whole time at her on the way back to the kitchens, trying to display his disapproval at the condition the slavers put her in, but she laughs at him softly. She tells him it could be worse, but Jay disagrees.</p>
<p>What could be worse than slavery?</p>
<p>“Death?” She responds.</p>
<p>Is that a question? I mean, I <em>guess</em>.</p>
<p>Jay thinks she’s being oddly optimistic in this situation. Jay tells her as such.</p>
<p>“We live this way, in my culture,” She says in that lilting accent of hers. Jay huffs again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Trouble begins again at Late meal, about a standard month later. When Jay looks back on it, he wonders why it took the masters so long, but there must have been some reason for it. Maybe politics. Maybe a show of power.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s because they had potential buyers at late meal, and they wanted to show them of that their slaves are properly disciplined.</p>
<p>Either way. Jay’s night was properly ruined.</p>
<p>After serving, the slave master at the head of the table, a male Zygerrian, stands to order the slaves to stand in line instead of returning to the kitchens.</p>
<p>“It has come to our attention that one of you had stolen food from the kitchens,” He announces with flare. The other Zygerrian slavers gasp dramatically, yet the buyers just watch with dull interest.</p>
<p>“We were notified by a faithful servant of the offender's transgressions, and we shall reward him for his for his loyalty.”</p>
<p>For his snitching, Jay thinks. He appreciates honesty, but here he has learned that honesty is not so black and white. Lying has helped the slaves more than telling the truth has, since punishment is dished out so freely. Unfortunately, Jay is a terrible liar.</p>
<p>“We will reward any slave that comes forward to inform us of any transgressions against our amiable rule.”</p>
<p>Jay struggles not to snort. That’s not at what the word ‘amiable’ should be used for.</p>
<p>“As for the perpetrator…”</p>
<p>Nice, a dramatic pause.</p>
<p>“Come forward, little Red.”</p>
<p>Red? Jay glances up. The slave master is looking at him.</p>
<p>Jay frowns. Red? They are calling him Red? Is that because of his hair? Wow, how creative of them. He doesn’t move, but the slave master comes forward and pulls him from the nice line of slaves. Now Jay begins to understand.</p>
<p>“This little welp pilfered food from the kitchens one night and shall know the consequences,” The Zygerrian drags his fingers over Jays hair and stops at the collar, hooking a finger through it, “And force sensitive too, you should have known better.”</p>
<p>Jay doesn’t respond, suddenly fighting the urge to tremble, and the slave master continues, addressing the crowd as if putting on a show. Perhaps he is.</p>
<p>“I hear that the force warns people of danger, so that they can prevent it. The Jedi can dodge a blaster before it is even shot.”</p>
<p>The slave master leans close enough to breathe in Jay’s face, and Jay can smell the red wine that he had poured into the slave masters goblets at dinner. A fine wine, imported from Corellia.</p>
<p>“Can you feel your punishment coming in the force, welp?”</p>
<p>Jay scowls, despite the fear curling in his stomach. Such a silly question, “Of course not, I am still wearing the collar.”</p>
<p>Jay is struck in the face, hand whipping across his cheek and the slave master’s rings cuts open his cheek. He falls back to the ground, his face feeling wet but not from his sudden tears. He watches in fascination as a drop of blood hits the intricately tiled floor. It clashes terribly with the sandy color scheme.</p>
<p>The slave master continues nonchalantly as if nothing happened.</p>
<p>“An insolent slave it seems. My good tradesmen, we only sell the finest stock. This human boy is not yet for sale, as he has yet to meet our standards,” He hold out a hand and a guard places the whip in his grip, “But he will learn.”</p>
<p>Jay wants to struggle, but he isn’t sure if that would make it better or worse. He is the slave here and Jay is suddenly very aware that the slave master could very well make his punishment worse on a whim. The thoughts and confusion paralyzes him, so unsure of what he could possibly do, and the guards strip his back with little resistance.</p>
<p>They shackle him down, like they did with Livy, only the shackles just barely hold his wrists in place. If he were any smaller, he could probably slip through. Hells, if he pulled hard enough, he could probably slip through. Should he try?</p>
<p>“How many lashes?” A Zygerrian at the table asks casually.</p>
<p>The Zygerrian smiles, all teeth, “I’ll judge as I see fit. It wouldn’t do to damage him permanently.”</p>
<p>He reels back and cracks it down. Unprepared, Jay screams. Fire blooms at the spot on his back and Jay’s mind reels in the sudden agonizing stimulation. This is what it feels like? This is what a whip feels like? It’s <em>terrible</em>.</p>
<p>The master cracks down another, and Jay shrieks again. He’s not sure he could hold back the screams like Livy did. He tries to accept this.</p>
<p>The other buyers watch, not terribly interested. Still, Jay feels something from them, which is strange, since he still doesn’t have the force. Strength.</p>
<p>This time when he’s struck, he grits his teeth and ducks his head. No sound escapes. A few lashes later, and the master stops. Is he done?</p>
<p>Jay spares a glance up and finds the master standing in front of him, satisfied.</p>
<p>“Enough,” He sweeps his arm out, “Even insolent slaves like this one learn. Notice how well he takes his punishment.” Jay feels uncertain about the pride in the master’s voice, wondering if it is real or just for the marketing. The guards unshackle him, but Jay doesn’t move from kneeling position. He’s worried if he tries to stand that his strength would give out. His back hurts with an agonizing pain he has never before experienced, and his legs may not support him through it.</p>
<p>“You!” The Zygerrian points at Kimi, “Take him away and see that he is in condition to work tomorrow. The rest of you! Remain in line. It’s time for our buyers to look at our fine stock!”</p>
<p>That’s the last thing Jay hears as Kimi scoops him up carefully and exits the room. His back burns like liquid fire, and it is oddly wet. It’s like his back is leaking. He doesn’t like it.</p>
<p>His breathing starts to pick up. Jay knows the galaxy can be a scary and dangerous place, but he’s never been punished like this before. Death Watch had been cruel to throw him into a fight, but at least he was allowed, almost encouraged, to fight back in the ring. This, this was nothing, they treated him like he was worth nothing. The cut into his back with a whip because they could, and it was their right as masters to do so.</p>
<p>His back oozes and Jay is starting to feel like he can’t breathe, which is strange, because the masters didn’t even touch his lungs. It hurts. Being a slave hurts a lot. He doesn’t want to be hurt like that again. How is ever going to get out of this? He doesn’t want to be here anymore. Is Dad even coming for him?</p>
<p>Jay has been given no reason to believe otherwise, but it has been awhile. What if Dad can’t find him? Will he be here forever? Jay can’t do this forever. Jay can’t live like this. Jay can’t live in this much pain. Jay can’t breathe.</p>
<p>“Calm, Jay, calm,” Kimi whispers, knocking Jay out of his spiraling descent, “Take a breath.”</p>
<p>Kimi coddles him, forcing him to breath, a gentle hand rubbing soothing circles on his chest. After a moment Kimi speaks.</p>
<p>“Are you alive, Jay?” Kimi asks gently.</p>
<p>“Elek,” Jay whispers.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“A little,” Jay responds softly.</p>
<p>Kimi gives a small laugh, “Rest Jay. You will feel better in the morning.”</p>
<p>Jay chooses to listen to that because the alternative sounds painful. He closes his eyes and listens to Kimi hum a song he said he learned from his old boyfriend back on Ryloth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the morning, besides some emotional trauma that Jay doesn’t feel like dealing with, Jay does feel a little bit better. The outdoor slave came back with that plant again and smeared it delicately all over Jay’s back as he lay on his stomach. It definitely hurt, but it was also strangely relaxing. He fell asleep while they rubbed it in. He felt alright enough in the morning to go do the platters, so he walks with the others to kitchens.</p>
<p>Livy grabs Jay’s hand, startling him, “I’m being bought,” She says urgently, nervous, as they get platters for first meal.</p>
<p>Well, she certainly has good reason to be nervous. This isn’t like she got chosen to play a part she auditioned for. This was being sold to a master last night during the auction.</p>
<p>Jay gapes at her, not sure what to say, and the expression pulls at the long cut on his face as he pulls the platter off the counter for first meal.</p>
<p>She looks into his eyes, imploringly and he blanks for a moment.</p>
<p>“Uh, is that bad?” He tries.</p>
<p>She tilts her head, clearly unimpressed.</p>
<p>Jay curses himself, of course it’s bad. They are slaves, everything is bad.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah, who bought you?” He tries again.</p>
<p>She purses her lips, “A very wealthy, eccentric man.”</p>
<p>Jay raises his brows, “That could mean anything.”</p>
<p>Really, it could. That’s a vague description and Jay could name a number of people that fit it.</p>
<p>“I guess,” She shrugs, “But in the purchase, he asked me a favor and I thought I should at least tell you.”</p>
<p>Jay tilts his head, walking with her towards the dining hall, “A favor? Why are you telling me?”</p>
<p>“He is asking to meet with you,” She says lowly.</p>
<p>Jay halts in his tracks. Meet with him? What does he have to do with anything? That’s very concerning. Alarmed, Jay continues the trek to the serving room and motions for Livy to continue.</p>
<p>“In the corridor by the kitchen, between guard shifts. He says he just wants to talk.”</p>
<p>Jay is even more alarmed now, shadiness bells ringing in his head due to how shady and suspicious the request is. Jay is just a slave kid now, and this guy that bought another living human, Livy, wants to chat by the kitchen. Um, no?</p>
<p>Livy seems to agree, “I don’t think you should do it.”</p>
<p>Jay is curious as why she would think that, “Why? Was he weird?”</p>
<p>She nods and shakes her head, giving Jay mixed messages, “Sort of?”</p>
<p>That’s still a mixed message, “Is this supposed to happen tonight?”</p>
<p>She nods, “I’ll point him out to you at third meal.”</p>
<p>Tentative, Jay responds, “Alright. I suppose.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Livy was right, this guy is weird. Weird and yet completely not weird. Completely unassuming maybe? Jay doesn’t even know how to describe it. Her buyer is charming and fits right in with the slavers and yet…  There was something right about him? Is that a thing?</p>
<p>Serving from the other side of table, Jay watches Livy put the meal down in front of her new master.</p>
<p>He barely even acknowledges her, besides a slight nod and he doesn’t say thank you, but that is normal for masters. They are so terribly rude.</p>
<p>After Jay bows, subservient as they give his fluffy clean hair the customary caress, Jay discretely watches Livy’s master as he leaves the dining rooms.</p>
<p>The man winks at him, safety and comfort coming from somewhere.</p>
<p>Oh, Jay is so going to meet this guy tonight, if only to give him a piece of his mind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jay comes around the corner and sees Livy’s master leaning against the wall. There is no one else in the corridor. He’s a bit creeped out. He may even regret coming to this empty corridor to meet a strange man. Stranger Danger.</p>
<p>“You came!” The man sings, “I knew you would, you have your father’s curiosity. Man, that is so dangerous!”</p>
<p>Jay blinks. What is happening? The man saunters over, standing proud in front of Jay.</p>
<p>“Little Version of Obi-Wan, look at you!” He crouches and shakes Jay by the shoulder, “Remember me?” The man laughs.</p>
<p>Oh force.</p>
<p>If asked, Jay would say he has never seen this man before in his life. But, in the deep recesses of early memories, Jay remembers Master Vos and the faint blanket of fond irritation Dad feels in the Kiffar’s presence. Last time he must have been, what, five? Master Vos was at his fifth birthday. He offered to give Jay a tattoo like the one on his face. Jay thought that was exciting, Mom thought that was horrifying. Needless to say, Jay does not have a tattoo and Master Vos has not been invited to his birthday since.</p>
<p>“Aw, you even look like he did. He even gave you the same haircut. Poor bastard,” Master Vos chortles and stands, ruffling Jay’s thick copper hair through his fingers, rough and playful. Jay tries not to smile, but it was nothing like when the Zygerrians grabbed his hair.</p>
<p>“Stop, stop!” Jay giggles, ducking away and smoothing out his hair, trying to smooth out the smile on his face, “That’s so undignified!”</p>
<p>That only makes him chuckle some more, “Trying to be like your old man, eh? There are other role models out there.”</p>
<p>Jay snorts, “Like you?”</p>
<p>Master Vos gives Jay a wink.</p>
<p>Then he crouches down with a serious face, placing a hand on the cut on Jay’s face. Jay winces until he feels something soothing the hurt. The force, even if he can’t feel it.</p>
<p>“Listen, Little-Wan, I am here undercover, and I cannot break it at risk of thousands of other slaves hidden on other worlds. But I will do my absolute best to get you out of here. Understand?”</p>
<p>Jay nods vigorously, a bit devastated that Master Vos can’t just slip him out, but he pushes that feeling away. There are thousands of others just like him and feeling the same way. Jay can’t let his own feelings get in the way of their freedom. Like Shala and Kimi and Livy. They deserved to go back home and see their families. Jay can last a little longer if it will get them some help.</p>
<p>Master Vos places a strong comforting hand on his shoulder and gives him a little shake, “Don’t lose hope now,” His eyes dim, “I will not be around long, and I will not be able to help you here. The other slaves helping you fit in?”</p>
<p>Jay nods again. His throat feels tight.</p>
<p>“Good, they will teach you to keep your head down and mouth shut. Don’t go mouthing off like your old man would. You just need to survive,” Master Vos says and stands, brushing off his opulent clothes.</p>
<p>“Best of Luck, Little-Wan,” He plays a wink again.</p>
<p>Jay huffs haughtily, “No such thing as luck.”</p>
<p>“Your father doesn’t know everything, little one,” Master Vos snorts, “Have a little more faith in people who have never felt the force.”</p>
<p>With that last little bit of advice, Master Vos slips back into character and leaves Jay to his thoughts in the back hallway.</p>
<p>Jay spends the next weeks in limbo, following protocol, listening to directions. He is waiting patiently for any new, or any sign, that someone is coming. He doesn’t see Master Vos again, but that’s okay. He has his own mission and Jay has his.</p>
<p>He watches slaves be punished, which it seems that the Zygerrians are more creative than he thought, because they do own more than a whip. They also have electric whips. Very creative.</p>
<p>And they also have electric rods and an isolation room. One time a slave came back wet and trembling, and Jay doesn’t even want to know what happened there. But it is all very terrifying. Very much so.</p>
<p>He is only punished one more time from stumbling on the carpet that had bunched up in front of the table. Luckily, he didn’t drop anything, so he only experienced a mild shock from the electric prod. Not too shabby. Still not fun.</p>
<p>Jay holds on. Master Vos told him to hold on and so he will. He won’t disobey an order from a Jedi Master, no matter how much he chaffs at the masters here. Master Vos is working to help them all and Jay wants everyone to go back home to their families too. He knows what it’s like now, and nobody really deserves this.</p>
<p>He sticks with Shala and Kimi, and he continues with the little family he feels they created. Kimi is very playful and likes to talk about home on Ryloth even though it’s been years. He had seen some of the troopers from the 212<sup>th</sup> when he was younger and Jay had bombarded him with questions. Shala tells very nice stories and legends about gods and heroes, and Jay wants to be a hero one day, just like Dad. He just needs to hold on.</p>
<p>He hopes Master Vos got Livy somewhere safe, or something like that. Maybe she got to go home and see her family. Jay misses his family. Even Kasen and his stuck-up politician-ness. Mom will round him out, he’s sure. Mom must be worried sick. Tal-ia will cheer her up a bit.</p>
<p>He wonders who is coming for him. Dad, most definitely. Uncle Ani is likely to follow, he likes action and Luke will be curious as well. Would Ba’vodu come? And Uncle Rex? They are usually pretty busy, still doing officer things in the reserves.</p>
<p>Although, after another month Jay isn’t so sure anyone is coming. How long is Master Vos going to take? Maybe Master Vos got caught? What if Master Vos never got to tell anybody, and Jay is left here, forever?</p>
<p>Jay is already tired of the masters bothering him. Their stares make him uncomfortable sometimes, and now some of them will ask him to approach just to caress his hair, even when he is serving someone else. That’s gotta be weird, right?</p>
<p>Some of them watch him a little to closely for comfort. Jay thinks Shala has noticed because she seems worried. She won’t tell him why.</p>
<p>She looks absolutely horrified when the guards come and take him from her early one morning. Jay leaves with them because there really isn’t a choice, fear creeping up his spine after watching her face crumble for what comes to be the last time he sees her.</p>
<p>Jay is led to what seems to be an office, where two Zygerrians seem to be having a heated conversation at the desk. They silence as Jay is pushed through the threshold. Jay has a bad feeling about this, with or without the force.</p>
<p>The one at the desk was the one who whipped him, and Jay has come to know his as the one who runs the serving halls. All the serving slaves are under his jurisdiction. However, the new Zygerrian Jay has only seen a handful of times in the past two months or so. He’s a very feminine looking Zygerrian, Jay thinks, and he wears makeup caked upon his face. It’s actually kind of pretty, but Jay is too disturbed by the amount of perfume he wears to pay much attention to his looks.</p>
<p>Jay nearly gagged one night, weeks ago walking by the Zygerrian’s seat at late meal. He held back because he can hardly imagine the hurt he would face if this one caught him gagging. You want some Zygerrian with your perfume?</p>
<p>Concerned, Jay stands straight and still in front of them, hoping he wasn’t bound for more punishment. The master who whipped him is visibly bothered.</p>
<p>“He preforms well, and the nobles enjoy his hair,” The serving master seems to argue.</p>
<p>His hair! What’s so special about his hair! He wishes he could roll his eyes.</p>
<p>The other master scoffs, and does roll his eyes, “And that is why he would fit in perfectly with me and my slaves! He doesn’t belong here, stagnating in the kitchens. That pretty red would do wonderfully under my tutelage.”</p>
<p>The serving master grunts, not pleased, but he concedes, “Very well. But you shall handle the transfer.”</p>
<p>The other master laughs, delighted, and with a clap of his hands rounds upon Jay. Jay has to fight the urge to back away. He doesn’t like this attention. He wishes once again he had the force so he could read the situation.</p>
<p>“Did you hear that, little boy? You’re going to be one of mine, now,” He croons.</p>
<p>Jay doesn’t like the sound of that, but he doesn’t respond, unsure if he was given permission.</p>
<p>“Hmm? What say you, little one? You can speak, the rules are slightly different with me.”</p>
<p>Jay looks him in the eyes, even though he knows he isn’t supposed to. He is discomforted by what he sees glittering in the new master’s eyes. This is a new kind of danger that Jay doesn’t know how to navigate.</p>
<p>Jay licks his lips, uncomfortable with how the Zygerrian follows the movement, “What’s happening, master?”</p>
<p>The Zygerrian smiles happily, perfume assaulting Jay’s nose, and carefully lays a silky silver chain crown upon Jay’s shining red hair.</p>
<p>“We are now thinking of a different future for you,” He purrs.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Obi-Wan has the Big Sad. At least, that’s what Ahsoka told him when she arrived on the ship with Rex. She took one look at him and exclaimed, “Oh no, Rex, he has the Big Sad,” and rushed him for a hug. It was fierce, as Ahsoka is just as fierce in her affection as she is with everything else.</p>
<p>Rex didn’t go for the hug, but there was a comforting clasp on the shoulder, “We’ll find him. If anybody can do it, we can,” he chuckled, “We’ve come out of worse with most of our limbs.”</p>
<p>That got Obi-Wan to smile and smirk at Anakin, who smiled back at him until he realized that he was the one who brought down the average on available limbs. Then he pouted and everybody laughed. It felt like the good old times.</p>
<p>Still, while Obi-Wan appreciated the comfort, there was still this gaping hole in his heart that ached with the loss of Jaytin. It was nothing new. Obi-Wan was used this kind of pain. He has had many people ripped from his heart. It had been awhile though.</p>
<p>What was new was that this was a child. And not just any child, but his child. He made that one, something he was still coming to terms with despite having two others. He was still in the process of raising them.</p>
<p>It would be like if Anakin were taken from him as a young padawan. He imagined that this is what it would have felt like. Obi-Wan didn’t like it.</p>
<p>What was he to do now?</p>
<p>He walks through the bridge, looking out at the stars.</p>
<p>The <em>Negotiator</em> drifted slowly through space, away from the rubble and ruin that used to be the Death Watch ship that the intel had indicated Little Jay would be on board. Scavenging the wreckage, they were able to locate the ships log that displayed flight path information, like where it had been and where it was going.</p>
<p>Useful information for Mandalorian and Republic intelligence, but not for locating his son. His son wasn’t going anywhere on that ship now, only scraps glittering amongst the stars. Whatever attacked Death Watch was very intent on something.</p>
<p>All cargo was gone. Armor-less bodies drifted around the scrapped metal. Obi-Wan and the other intelligence believe the armor was stolen. Beskar is valuable after all. So, they all agree that this wasn’t an attack for survival or vengeance but pirating and looting for valuable assets.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan is glad that Jaytin’s body wasn’t among the wreck but now they have a different problem. And with their track record, it’s probably going to be worse, not better.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan wipes a hand down his face, suddenly overwhelmed with loss. They were never going to find him.</p>
<p>“Come on, Master, we’ll think of something,” Anakin pipes up beside him. Popped out of nowhere.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan startles and spares him a glance, hands folding into his sleeves.</p>
<p>“There has to be something we’re missing,” pipes up Ahsoka from the other side of him. Startles him again.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan sighs, “I know, but what? They were likely a group of pirates.”</p>
<p>“Pirates that took a prisoner from another ship?” Anakin sounds unconvinced.</p>
<p>Anakin has a point, but Anakin never gives pirates enough credit. He should know by now that not all pirates are mindless money grabbers. To get anywhere in this galaxy, you have to have some brain.</p>
<p>“Unless the prisoner is of some monetary value, say the son of a Duchess?” Obi-Wan counters.</p>
<p>“More like the son of the Negotiator,” Ahsoka chirps. Obi-Wan is not impressed. That’s hardly important or relevant.</p>
<p>“If they even know who the prisoner is,” Anakin shoots back, “Jay is smart kid, I don’t think he would say anything that will get him into any more trouble than he already is in.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan knows this, but his son has never been in a hostile situation before. The circumstance may lead to Jaytin behaving differently. “Even if he’s threatened?”</p>
<p>Rex snorts, “If he’s anything like you, especially when threatened.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan must be truly exhausted because he didn’t notice Rex so close to him either. He glances up catches Anakin watching him intently. Oh, dear, now he’s worried him.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan, are you alright?” Anakin probes.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan opens his mouth to respond with the automatic ‘I’m fine,’ but Ahsoka cut him off.</p>
<p>“No, Skyguy, of course not, he’s got the Big Sad,” She gestures at all of Obi-Wan, “He’s got it bad.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. This isn’t important, his son is missing. He can worry about his Big Sad after they find him. He puts a hand out to stop the conversation.</p>
<p>“Big Sad or not, we are missing something. Let’s get back to problem at hand.”</p>
<p>“The Big Sad?” Anakin mumbles, “The kriff is that?”</p>
<p>“Something we say these days, Dad, don’t worry about it.” Luke responds.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan silences a groan. When did Luke get here? Is he losing it? He probably is. There is a headache starting at his temples, lancing across his forehead. Bant told him that is usually attributed to tension or stress. And lo to be told, he is a bit stressed at the moment.</p>
<p>“If there are pirates in the area, then we should start our search by investigating which groups have been reported in the area and if any proximity black market bases know of their whereabouts,” Cody remarks.</p>
<p>This time Obi-Wan does groan, hand held at his temples. Even Cody snuck up on him, Obi-Wan may actually need some medication if this was going to be an ongoing issue—Wait. Obi-wan blinks his eyes open, not realizing that he had shut them.</p>
<p>Cody has a good point.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan, are you alright?” Cody asks, placing a hand his shoulder.</p>
<p>Apparently not. At least Cody didn’t call him General.</p>
<p>“I just asked him that!” Anakin says, throwing his hands in the air, “I don’t think he is!”</p>
<p>“Big Sad,” Ahsoka concludes once again. Luke nods sagely.</p>
<p>Cody glances at them, unimpressed, “I meant for the headache.”</p>
<p>Understanding dawns on all their Jedi faces. Rex massages his own temples at their lack of obvious observation skills. It’s basic body language.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan pouts, wondering if he should admit it. Typically, he wouldn’t, but this lack of awareness could potentially be dangerous, and he does actually have to be able to connect full thoughts when searching for his son.</p>
<p>Like thinking about investigating criminal activity in the area when he already believed that pirates are involved. Really, he should have thought of that, it’s really very obvious. This is why he keeps Cody around. You know, besides being part of the family.</p>
<p>He sighs.</p>
<p>“I’ll take care of it later.”</p>
<p>The looks he receives are very unimpressed. What? Do they think he is that incapable?</p>
<p>“Yes, I <em>will</em>, but I want to address this now. Cody is right,” Obi-wan gestures at Cody. He glances at each his team, his family listening around him, “We know there is criminal activity of some sort, now need to set up a network to find what criminal activity has been reported and what information the criminal underworld has about this sector. The ship’s log may have some leads. Florrum is around here, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“And some Zyggerian activity,” Ahsoka growls, sharp teeth showing. Obi-Wan sucks in a breath and Anakin’s eyes darken.</p>
<p>“Spill,” Anakin demands, suddenly very serious.</p>
<p>“I was talking to Master Secura, you know she keeps track of these things with Master Vos,” Ashoka explains, just as serious and Obi-Wan nods in agreement, “Some of his Shadow work had him investigating some increasing Zyggerian activity. As far as he can tell, they aren’t in league with the terrorist Separatists, they haven’t been since their queen was killed, but their slave empire is growing again. They are making hidden bases on planets around the Outer Rim to train slaves, like they did with the Togruta colony.”</p>
<p>“And you say they have been sighted around here?” Rex asks.</p>
<p>Ahsoka nods, “Master Vos might know more.”</p>
<p>“I’ll see if he will answer a com,” Obi-wan agrees.</p>
<p>Everybody seems to be in agreement, that this development is worth looking into. Obi-Wan’s stomach is laden with dread. It is a possible lead for finding his son, but the implications… well, they aren’t exactly good.</p>
<p>Everyone begins to go their separate way, except Ahsoka and Rex. Obi-Wan gives them his attention.</p>
<p>“Rex and I am taking some of the men to widen the search,” Ahsoka announces, with passion.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan raises a brow, “Oh, are you?”</p>
<p>Ahsoka rolls her eyes, “Yes, Master Obi-Wan, I can do that with or without your permission now. This was just a warning.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan smiles, “That felt more like a threat,” He places a hand on her shoulder, “But you have my permission anyway.”</p>
<p>Ahsoka smiles, knowing and confident, “Thanks Master, is that so it’s on record for when I find Jay?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely,” Obi-Wan laughs, “For the record, I hope you do find him,” He adds.</p>
<p>Ashoka begins to leave but stops, “Oh, and I’m taking Luke with me,” she adds on.</p>
<p>The last Obi-Wan heard, Luke was staying with Anakin.</p>
<p>“He wants to go with you?” Obi-Wan asks, surprised.</p>
<p>“No,” She laughs, “He just doesn’t know it yet.”</p>
<p>With that, she leaves Obi-Wan and Rex, both shaking their heads fondly. He looks to Rex.</p>
<p>“And what about you, Captain? Are you joining Master Tano on her hunt?” Obi-Wan asks. Rex jolts to attention.</p>
<p>“I was planning on it, but after that discussion I’ll be joining her after we look into the Zygerrian activity,” Rex responds with a rogue grin. Obi-Wan recognizes danger when he sees it.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Obi-Wan tilts his head, “Got a bone to pick, do you?”</p>
<p>Determination lights fire in the good captain’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Absolutely. If Ankle Biter is there, I want to be there to tear the place apart myself.”</p>
<p>And let it be known that Captain Rex gets his wish. Just not how he intended it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof, this was both shorter and longer than I intended. Next up, some Obi-Wan adventure and more problems for Jay to navigate.<br/>Here's a snapshot:<br/>“Oh, the little redheaded human? He wasn’t a good investment. So, we lit him on fire.” The perfumed Zygerrian sneers.<br/>Obi-Wan pales, looking very much like he wants to pass out. Anakin wants to murder, hands twitching. It was Rex though, who shoots the slaver in the chest with not an ounce of hesitation. Cody is disappointed, gun raised, that he didn’t get to do it himself, but Cody was the one that worked with the General that liked to talk before fighting. Rex didn’t.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Up in flames</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jay has an awful time and eats some pudding, while Obi-Wan is setting himself up for a heart attack. Or, Jay finds out what a sex slave is and how scary fire can be, and Obi-Wan finds more leads and storms a planet looking for a child.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Ahsoka had just left with Luke and her men—her ship had just entered hyperspace and the space left open when the alarms went off on the <em>Negotiator</em>. For danger.</p><p>“Who the hells is attacking?” Rex shouts.</p><p>Obi-Wan searches the information on the holos. He’s surprised, only if the information is accurate.</p><p>“They’re Zygerrians, sir!” A soldier responds. Well, the information is accurate. A small fleet of heavily armed Zygerrian ships flies out of hyperspace. A single cannon fires and leaves sparks against the <em>Negotiator’s</em> shields.</p><p>“Are you kidding me?” Anakin yells at nobody, throwing his hands in the air, “Why?”</p><p>“A bold move for them, isn’t it? This is very clearly a Republic Ship—a destroyer class venator,” Obi-Wan comments, rubbing at his beard, “It’s not like they can do much damage with the ships they’ve got, even armed as they are. It must be a raiding party, not an attack.”</p><p>Apparently, the fleet of Zygerrian ships seem to realize these odds as well. The ships swerve and swivel like flies zooming frantically around the ship, and after some rather manic maneuvers that have Anakin shaking his head in exasperation, the ships seem to pull themselves together into something resembling a formation. They launch themselves back into hyperspace: couldn’t have been there for more than a minute.</p><p>Anakin leans over casually to the soldiers piloting the Venator, “Yeah, uh, follow them, please?”</p><p>“Yessir, already on it,” A clone, Charts is his name if Obi-Wan remembers correctly, replies, “I’ll track the estimated coordinates.”</p><p>Obi-Wan hums, staring at the spot the fleet went into hyperspace, “It appears the Zygerrians made a mistake.”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t think they meant to do that,” Rex comments, “They sure got outta there quick.”</p><p>Cody tilts his head, “But it does show that we’re on the right track.”</p><p>“I would have preferred a welcome committee,” Anakin grumbles.</p><p>Obi-Wan smiles, feeling a bit of glee at having the chance to do this again, “Anakin, that <em>was </em>the welcome committee.”</p><p>Anakin sighs tiredly, suddenly showing his increasing age if even Obi-Wan is getting the Irritated Dad treatment, “Did you get the chance to com Master Vos?”</p><p>Obi-Wan nods, still rubbing his beard, “He didn’t pick up. I would imagine he is not in a position to talk, but with Quinlan… well, sometimes you just don’t know,” Obi-Wan sighs, “There are times when he doesn’t bother to bring a com and he’ll encrypt a transmission to get information back to the temple.” Obi-Wan smiles at the ridiculousness of one memorable occasion, “He sent a letter once. To the Council. On flimsy paper. It had a purchased stamp and everything, containing highly classified information.”</p><p>Cody looks impressed, “That must have gone over well.”</p><p>Obi-Wan smiles, with just a tinge of mischief, “It went very well. I could hardly contribute to the meeting because I couldn’t breathe. I found that it is surprisingly difficult to contain that much laughter. I had never seen Mace sigh so deeply in my life.”</p><p>“Well, that doesn’t help us now,” Anakin remarks, clearly annoyed. Obi-Wan sighs. He is aware of Anakin’s slight disdain for Quin; they are too much alike to get along well. Neither can contain themselves.</p><p>Obi-Wan takes a deep breath, “Quin does… good work.”</p><p>Anakin snorts, “You hate working with him.”</p><p>Obi-Wan gives a half shrug, not quite able to describe his relationship with Quin. They would drink together, fight for each other, die for each other, but Obi-Wan cannot remember a single time where being in vicinity of Quin was relaxing. Quite the opposite, really. Again, a bit like Anakin. And almost everyone else that Obi-Wan chooses to live with. Force, he’s starting to see a pattern.</p><p>“Hate is not quite the word I would use to describe my experiences with Quinlan.”</p><p>“Ladies,” Charts speaks up, “Coming in on the estimated location.”</p><p>“’Ladies’?” Anakin gawks. Rex snorts.</p><p>Obi-Wan places a hand on his shoulder and leads him away, “Let’s see what have here.”</p><p> </p><p>They follow the Zygerrians ships and find a planet by the name Tinaar, which nobody had ever heard of before. Taking a small ship down with a small team (best to at least try to be subtle) of ten men, they arrive on the little-known planet that seems to be owned by some very unsavory company. He could never really understand the appeal of being gambler or a slaver. Some smugglers were alright—if they were honorable—but here, where the low-lit bars were full of them offering jobs to corrupt property owners and sentient traffickers, Obi-Wan had a hard time keeping a neutral expression. Especially with the events concerning his lost son.</p><p>Walking down the dirty streets lined with stalls selling stolen goods, Obi-Wan fights to keep the scowl off his face. It isn’t as hard as it could have been, since Anakin is doing enough scowling for all of them. In fact, Obi-Wan has to fight to keep the smile off his face, watching credited criminals take one look and leap out of the way of Anakin’s stride. It is quite amusing.</p><p>That’s why it’s startling when someone bumps right into Obi-Wan. He didn’t even sense them, which is the strangest thing…</p><p>“Pardon me…?” Obi-Wan trails off, hoping the being would acknowledge him. They take a few steps and then look at him under a hood and then in their hand, they dangle—is that his lightsaber?</p><p>“Wait!” Obi-Wan shouts, now annoyed and alarmed. They dart away and Obi-Wan gives chase, feeling Anakin at his heels. Cody and Rex know the drill, they’ll catch up eventually. After they alert their men.</p><p>The being dodges between buildings, able to stay a head of them, so they must be force sensitive. The air whips past Obi-Wan’s ears and he herds them towards an alley. He hopes to corner them there, but it doesn’t exactly go as planned. Instead, the being takes a great leap up on top of a stone building. So, force sensitive and most definitely trained as well. Obi-Wan grits his teeth, bothered since he has had his fair share of fighting trained forced sensitives, and he lets the force quicken his stride and fuel his leap in pursuit. He doesn’t have time for this.</p><p>Then the being suddenly stops in the middle of the rooftop. Obi-Wan nearly barrels right into them—and Anakin into him, but Jedi reflexes prevent them both from making them look like fools in front of their mystery thief. Before Obi-Wan can do so much as request the return of his lightsaber, the being opens a door on the roof and gestures for them to enter. Polite, like holding the door open for them. Obi-Wan frowns.</p><p>“What do you think you’re doing?” Anakin demands, hands on hips like an angry parent. In which he got plenty of practice.</p><p>“Inviting you into my humble abode,” says a familiar voice.</p><p>The being pulls off their hood and Obi-Wan heaves a great groan and throws his hands in the air in exasperation, “Stars, Quinlan, you could have just said hello!” Obi-Wan enters the building, rather aggressively. Quin snorts, and Obi-Wan scowls back. What a pain in the ass. He snatches his lightsaber from Quin’s dangling hand with a pointed glare.</p><p>“I don’t have time for this,” Obi-Wan mutters, when Quin shuts the door and leads them down a hallway. But, as always, Quin surprises him.</p><p>“I think you’ll want to make time for this,” Quin says, not entirely joking.</p><p>Then Obi-Wan remembers. Oh yes, I meant to comm him. Leave it to Quin to distract him from the very reason they are getting into this mess.</p><p>“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, “Do call our dear friends and let them know what’s happened and where we’ve run off to.”</p><p>Anakin huffs, clearly bothered as well, “Sure thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Quin, Ahsoka told us you are investigating the Zygerrians.” Obi-Wan begins the conversation after everyone settles around the little room. It’s quite cozy, actually. A small little circle carpet with a cute little round table surrounded by four wooden chairs. The table has a potted plant on it. With flowers that make the room smell like lilies. Obi-Wan took a seat to get closer. Quin sits across from him, while Anakin glares, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Some things never change.</p><p>Rex and Cody look like they ran, a little flushed in the face. They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder on the meager bed. Obi-Wan commends them for their persistence and their haste. “A ship that we were looking for seems to have been attacked and was found destroyed, and recent activity has hinted that it could have been the Zygerrians rebuilding their slave trade.”</p><p>Quin nods, bored, “Yeah, the Zygerrians are setting up raids on ships for sentient trafficking. They’ve bolstered their weapons that they got from the Separatists,” That’s new information, “In return, they help fund the terrorists with the money made off the slave trade,” Vos finishes, picking at his nails.</p><p>Obi-Wan rubs at his chin in thought. That sounds like what happened to the Mandalorian ship. Is that what the Zygerrians thought when they attacked the <em>Negotiator</em>? Not that it was much of an attack…</p><p>“That’s probably what the Zygerrians were trying to do when tried to attack our ship. A raid.” Cody says.</p><p>That’s exactly what Obi-Wan was thinking. Great job, Cody.</p><p>Rex snorts, “They regretted that very quickly.”</p><p>Quinlan huffs a laugh, “Did they try to attack the Negotiator?”</p><p>Rex nods with the “can you believe that?” face. Quinlan shakes his head, “They’ve always bitten off more than they can chew. That’s how their empire always falls.”</p><p>Obi-Wan nods. He’s about to ask a question before a young lady steps in the room with food and a data pad. She looks surprised at the Jedi she found, and she glances warily at Quinlan.</p><p>“They’re friends,” Quinlan says, with a wave, “We can talk freely.”</p><p>She seems to nod in understanding, and Obi-Wan wonders if he said some sort of code. Probably.</p><p>“I’ve heard some more information tonight about the slaves here and on Ziki,” She gets right to business, setting the food on the table and handing the data pad to Quin. Obi-Wan notices she has a strange accent and wonders what her first language was. It sounds quaint.</p><p>“You were right, Tinaar is just transport to different veins of the trade. Ziki is just a training site,” She announces.</p><p>Quinlan nods like he knew that already. Obi-Wan stares pointedly at him and then gestures loosely to the blonde woman.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, Obi-Wan,” Quinlan says, nonchalant, looking back down at the data, “This is Livy. I bought her on Ziki.”</p><p>Anakin snarls, fire ignited, “You bought her?”</p><p>Quinlan hums in confirmation, “I did. And now she’s helping me find information so I can report the slave trafficking to the Council and the peacekeepers and the senate.” Anakin still looks like he wants to attack, so Vos finally says the one thing he wants to know, “Yes, she’s free.”</p><p>Obi-Wan really wishes Quin would stop pressing all of Anakin’s buttons, but alas, this is what Quin does. Anakin relaxes a little and so does Obi-Wan, though for a completely different reason. He really didn’t want to break up a fist fight between them. Last time it was a mess.</p><p>Anakin still bristles, “Is she choosing to stay?”</p><p>Quin nods.</p><p>“Alright,” Anakin huffs, backing down, “Fine.”</p><p>The young lady huffs too, unimpressed, “I can speak for myself,” She affirms, addressing Anakin.</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” Anakin blushes and curls into himself a bit. Obi-Wan groans internally. His former padawan will always be a mess. Obi-Wan steps in to save him from more embarrassment.</p><p>“We mean no offense,” Obi-Wan says to her, and then turns back to Quin, “And we certainly don’t want to interfere with the investigation. But we are looking for my son—”</p><p>“Does he look like you?” Livy interrupts. Quinlan snorts.</p><p>Obi-Wan blinks at her in surprise, “Well, we do share a resemblance—”</p><p>Quin interrupts, “And by resemblance, he means the little menace looks almost exactly like him. Really, Obi? The same fripping haircut?”</p><p>Obi-Wan frowns. They do not have the same haircut. Unless Quin is talking about giving Jay the same haircut that Obi-Wan had when he was that age, then yes. He is guilty.</p><p>“Jay?” Livy frowns. They all stare at her. Quin is smirking.</p><p>“Have you seen him?” Obi-Wan asks her, grasping at the chance.</p><p>She bites her lip, looking sympathetic, “Not for weeks, but he was with me on Ziki when Sir Vos bought me. A sweet child, yes.”</p><p>Anakin turns to Quin, infuriated once again. Obi-Wan gets up and stands between them. Just in case.</p><p>“Did you see him there, Vos?” Anakin snarls, “So help me, I’ll—”</p><p>“As a matter of fact,” Quin enunciates—stubborn bastard, “I did.”</p><p>“And you bought <em>her</em>?” Anakin lifts a hand and points at Livy. Obi-Wan pushes his hand down. It’s rude to point.</p><p>Livy frowns, obviously affronted, “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Anakin,” Obi-Wan warns. Anakin huffs and takes a step back, but Obi-Wan see the tension in his shoulders. He’s very upset. Although, Obi-Wan is too. Quin better have a good explanation on why he didn’t get Jaytin out of there.</p><p>Obi-Wan laces his careful words with a threatening undertone, “Quinlan, how about you explain before someone gets hurt.”</p><p>Vos sighs. The seriousness is back. They all wait patiently.</p><p>“Unfortunately, your boy wasn’t for sale. There wasn’t any way I could get him off planet without jeopardizing my investigation. I bought Livy instead,” He motions to her and she smiles softly, “She hadn’t been there long and was friends with Little-Wan, so she could get him a message. I was able to see him before I left.”</p><p>Obi-Wan closes his eyes and breathes. Not a great explanation, but he understands. These people need help, and the quicker Quinlan gets done, the quicker little Jaybird and all these slaves go free. It would be selfish of them to only free Jaytin. He’s learned that lesson after Master Qui-Gon only freed Anakin and nobody else.</p><p>At least Jaytin has some hope too. Seeing Quinlan must have been a miracle for him. His son should know that they are searching for him—that he’s still loved.</p><p>“And? How was he?” Anakin asks, impatient.</p><p>Quinlan shrugs, “It’s complicated. The Zygerrians know he’s force sensitive, but not his identity. He’s only going by ‘Jay’.”</p><p>“What are they doing about the force sensitivity?” Cody asks. Obi-Wan wonders if Commander has seen his Jedi captured and forced suppressed far too many times not to ask for those details.</p><p>Quinlan sighs, sadly this time and Obi-Wan feels worry slip down his throat.</p><p>“Collared,” He answers. Obi-Wan winces. At least drugs wear off. Collars don’t ‘wear off’.</p><p>“Collared?” Anakin snaps, “Why didn’t you take it off? At least he would have the force!”</p><p>Quinlan doesn’t even skip a beat, completely ignoring Anakin’s ire, “I couldn’t take it off, the slavers would notice. I couldn’t short circuit it, the whiplash from the force could cause a seizure if not handled correctly, and it wasn’t the time or the place to ease him through it,” Quinlan looks at Obi-Wan, “Have you taught him how to re-center after being cut off from the force for an extended period of time?”</p><p>Obi-Wan sighs, disheartened, “No. I haven’t.”</p><p>Quinlan raises his hand at Anakin, as if to say, “there you have it”.</p><p>Anakin is not cowed, “But you left him there, all alone! A little boy as a slave!”</p><p>Obi-Wan places a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, an effort to show support. Rex steps up beside his general, ever the anchor.</p><p>“Yeah,” Quinlan grunts, nonplussed, “But he’s like Obi-Wan. You could light that kid on fire, and he would still find a way to use that to his advantage.”</p><p>Anakin is seething next to him, ready to snarl, but Obi-Wan can’t help it anymore, “Is he alright?”</p><p>Quinlan shrugs, “Little scraped up, but you know. Made some friends, broke some rules, ready to bite my hand off for touching his hair. A cute little spitfire.”</p><p>Obi-Wan raises a brow, “’Bite your hand off?’ He’s too sweet for that.”</p><p>Quin smirks, putting on an overly posh expression and a terrible impression of Obi-Wan’s accent and pretends to smooth out his hair with dramatic elegance, “’That’s so undignified!’”</p><p>Anakin snorts, forgetting for a moment that he’s supposed to be angry. Obi-Wan sees Livy smile, apparently familiar enough with this son to find it amusing and endearing.</p><p>Obi-Wan sees this as going for the benefit of the doubt, “So, he is alright.”</p><p>Quin tilts his head, “He’s a pretty resilient kid. He’s fine as he could be, given the circumstance.”</p><p>“For now,” Anakin mutters, still peeved.</p><p>Quin grins, “And now he’s got the ‘Jedads’ on the warpath.”</p><p>Rex snorts. Obi-Wan shakes his head fondly.</p><p>“So, uh, what are we going to do about this slave trade?” Anakin continues. Wow. Real subtle. Obi-Wan wonders how Anakin has spent so much time with him and learned <em>nothing</em> about subtlety. He opens his mouth to interrupt but Quin’s on it.</p><p>“Here? Nothing yet,” Anakin bristles in the force, but Quin continues, stopping him with a raised hand gesturing for patience, “I’m almost finished my investigation here on Tinaar. Ziki led me here, but I still need to find what other planets these slaves are being shipped to besides Ziki <em>before</em> I report it to the correct authorities.” A sly look appears on Quin’s face, just like it does when he’s about to do something slightly against the rules. It makes Obi-Wan oddly excited, just like it did when they were padawans together, getting in <em>and out</em> of trouble.</p><p>“Technically,” Quin says with that rogue grin, “Nobody can act upon the slave compounds on Ziki before I finish the full investigation of the Zygerrian slave rings, however… I have finished my investigation of Ziki and in my ever so <em>humble</em> opinion, Ziki is ready and able to be freed right now with little risk to the slaves and my investigation. So. If you go to Ziki…” Quinlan trails off, and everybody else finishes the thought.</p><p>“Alright,” Anakin acquiesces, suddenly in a much better mood, “Let’s go free Ziki from the Zygerrian slave empire.”</p><p>Obi-Wan sighs. What a mess they’ve gotten themselves into.</p>
<hr/><p>Jay was led to a little compound nearby that was well decorated, when compared to the serving house. He wasn’t out very long but the little peek of fresh air was nice after being stuffed in the serving house for what felt like months. Inside the place, it’s rather nice as well. There are cushions all around—cushions around the table and lined up against the wall, cushions on cushions (is that really necessary?) and everything is well padded, soft, or blanketed.</p><p>He’s to be given to the kitchen to serve for the rest of the day, but at the moment, he’s being introduced to the ways of the house with a few other new slaves. All of them are very pretty, in Jay’s opinion. The sickly sweet smelling Zygerrian stands in front of their little group, hands clasped together in excitement.</p><p>“I am Cara’mi, the head of this house and the head handler. You will address me, as Headmaster or Headhandler. The other handlers will be addressed as Master or Handler,” He smiles at Jay like he’s a child. Which he is, but Jay still isn’t happy about it. Headmaster Cara’mi gestures to the numerous cushions, “Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable. That’s what this place is all about—comfort.”</p><p>Something tells Jay that the comfort here is very one-sided. He plops down and crosses his legs, pretzel style.</p><p>Headmaster Cara’mi looks down at him and coos, “Oh, so sweet, aren’t you, darling?”</p><p>Jay nods. It’s easier to agree, though he’s lying; he thinks he’s rather spicy. He also is wary of Headmaster Cara’mi. He doesn’t trust this cheery disposition at all.</p><p>The Zygerrian claps his hands, ready to get started and Jay is reminded of schoolteachers doing similar things. He doesn’t like the comparison.</p><p>“You have joined us here at the Pleasure House! Here, it is all about comfort. As long you create comfort, you will be comfortable here!” Headmaster Cara’mi cheers.</p><p>Displeasure curls in Jay’s stomach. Something isn’t right. It’s easier to tell when the other new slaves are looking at him in concern. It’s only making him more concerned. Is there something he should be worried about? Great, now he’s anxious.</p><p>“Most things you will learn in time. And if we deem you unable to learn…” Headmaster Cara’mi looks sympathetic. Jay thinks it looks fake. “You will head to the Hole House—which is undergoing renovations—or to the hunting grounds. There is no comfort there. Only the pain of lost investments, yes?”</p><p>Everybody looks at the Headmaster in terror. He claps his hands again with a cheery smile and Jay jumps. What a sudden turn. Alright then.</p><p>“Now! Those from the serving houses, head to the kitchens for now!”</p><p>And so, head to the kitchen, Jay does.</p><p> </p><p>Jay thought serving to the masters at the serving house was uncomfortable, but this is on another level. The masters here touch his hair, sure, but he had gotten use to that. These ones caress his face and grab his chin. Jay doesn’t know how to react, so he tries to look back without much expression (some eye contact is apparently encouraged). Unfortunately for him, it comes across as curious and endearing, which is not at all what he intended.</p><p>“Oh, look at those curious blue eyes, aren’t they just dear?” A master coos, staring into his face. He begs them to let them go with those very eyes, but it doesn’t seem to be working. He waits patiently to be let free.</p><p>Headmaster Cara’mi coos, “Oh, I know. The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew. I could just eat him up.”</p><p>Oh my, Jay definitely does <em>not</em> want to be eaten. They let go of his face and he looks down, waiting to be dismissed.</p><p>“Do you think he’ll be ready soon?” Says another master, tilting his face back up with a gentle knuckle.</p><p>“We are working with haste,” Headmaster Cara’mi informs, “I’d like him working by the end of the week.”</p><p>The masters nod in agreement and excitement, eyeing him strangely. He hates it, and yet he must be given permission to leave. Headmaster takes pity on him.</p><p>“Head back to the kitchen, dear. We’ll shall see you again later.”</p><p>The other two meals that day go similarly, with similar exchanges and caresses. Jay almost wishes he were back at the serving house. At least he could tell what those masters wanted. These ones are saying one thing but meaning something more. They have sweet words, but something is sour about it all. It makes Jay nervous. Great, now he’s anxious <em>and</em> nervous.</p><p>The other slaves there seem used to it. Some slaves even come in during the meal and sit on these masters’ laps and giggle. Jay is baffled. Why would they act like that? Do they want to? Or are they faking it for the masters? He has no idea what’s going on. The masters look at him like they want him to sit on their laps and it makes him uneasy. They might be masters but these are strangers. He doesn’t sit on stranger’s laps. He doesn’t want to sit on anybody who looks at him like that.</p><p>After the last meal, Jay is let back to eat with the other slaves. The meal he gets here is a lot better than what they ate at the serving house, which surprises him. Why do these slaves get to eat better? Is it because there are fewer of them? Are these slaves more important or better rewarded? He doesn’t know but he looks up in surprise when another serving slave brings another tray of food, stacked with little cups. The word ‘dessert’ is whispered around, and Jay goes to take a look when slaves are told to take one.</p><p>Jay picks up the little tin cup, watching as all the other beings started wolfing it down. He stares into the cup, unable to see the appeal. It is a thick pale goop and Jay tries not to gag when it jiggles in the cup as he gives it a little shake.</p><p>The pretty blue pantoran girl nearby—maybe Kasen’s age—is already done. She looks at him with a knowing look, eyeing the little cup of goop.</p><p>“If you don’t want it, I’ll take it.”</p><p>Jay pulls it back to his chest, “No.”</p><p>He gives it another look. Jiggles it again. Then he gives it a sniff. It smells sweet, and he jerks back in surprise. With a scoop, he picks up an itty-bitty portion on the spoon and brings it to his mouth. His eyes go wide.</p><p>Great stars, WE GET PUDDING???</p><p>The girl must see the look on his face because she starts to laugh, doubling over with hand on her knees.</p><p>“What were you expecting?” She breathes between laughs.</p><p>Jay swallows jubilantly and then takes a big scoopful, “Not pudding!” And he shoves it into his mouth.</p><p>She wipes tears from her eyes and a small smile comes to her face, “Yes, well us slaves here get treated a little differently than the others, apparently,” Her eyes go to the ground and Jay is a bit thrown by the sudden sorrow in her eyes, “A little better, a little worse.”</p><p>Then the look is gone, and she throws out her hand, “Call me Kella.”</p><p>Jay puts the spoon in the cup and shakes her hand, “Jay.”</p><p> </p><p>The next day, after leaving the slave bunks in the basement, some handlers take him and the few others aside again. They start teaching him new protocol for this place, which, as they say, is all about comfort. It’s about smiling and certain touches and laying about all pretty and Jay only feels dread slowly grow.</p><p>He’s let go again to serve late meal and only observes more… strange things. He doesn’t like what he’s learning. He needs to get out of here. After the meal, he goes to eat with Kella and is once again disappointed with what he’s learning about the galaxy. About slavery.</p><p>“They even gave us moldy cheese,” Jay grouses, picking at the white layer of mold with his fingertips. He picks up a cracker instead and takes a little bite. It’s slightly sweet instead of salty, to which he gives a please hum.</p><p>“That’s how it’s supposed to be. Even the masters eat it like this,” Kella says, cutting into white covering. It reveals a yellow gooey center. Jay halts in his eating, mouth open in horror, looking up at her.</p><p>“You mean people actually eat moldy cheese? On purpose?” Jay asks, incredulous, and then nibbles a cracker.</p><p>Kella nods, “Yes, it’s a delicacy, apparently.”</p><p>Jay watches in fascination, gumming at the cracker, as a nearby twi’lek takes a huge hunk of the cheese and gobs it onto a sweet cracker. He can’t even tear his eyes away as the twi’lek cradles it delicately into his mouth. The moldy cheese. On a cracker. Fascinating.</p><p>“How is he eating that?”</p><p>Kella puts some of it on a cracker and places the whole thing in her mouth with a big crunch.</p><p>“How are <em>you</em> eating that?” Jay eyes it some more, “Can I try some?”</p><p>She nods. Jay scoops a little glob of it on the sweet cracker and sticks it in his mouth. Very salty and a little bitter. The cracker saves it all in the end with its mild sweetness, which is even sweeter with the added flavor. He swallows.</p><p>“Do you like it?”</p><p>“No,” Jay sticks out his tongue at her childishly. He reaches for another cracker and puts some more cheese on it.</p><p>Kella’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, “Then why are you eating more?”</p><p>“Because now the cracker tastes bland without it.”</p><p>She laughs, a nice bell-like sound that curls joy in Jay’s stomach. It’s a different laugh than what she gives the masters. Jay wants to hear it again. He grins up at her and she smiles back. Her smile turns sad but then she surprises him by pulling him into a hug. It is the first comfortable thing he’s experienced here.</p><p>“You remind me of my little brother,” She says, wetly, “I miss him, apparently.”</p><p>He hugs her back, “I miss my big brother, even when he tricks me into making his bed.”</p><p>She laughs again, “Maybe one day we will be free of this.”</p><p>Jay shuts his eyes against her neck. Even without the force, Jay knows this to be true.</p><p> </p><p>Jay gets to join Kella the next day and he stays by her side. She seems happy to have him with her, despite the sad looks she gives him when she thinks he isn’t looking. Everybody else is still worried about him, but for now he’s ignoring it. It’s only making him anxious, so he needs to live in the here and now.</p><p>The system here is a bit different than the serving house and takes a certain amount of them each day to cycle in a certain job. Jay won’t be available till late in the next week, Kella says, and they’ll be on the same day at least.</p><p>But today he does a double take and finds he is correct; there is in fact a Quarren in the lineup for tonight. Kella snorts when she notices the look of shock.</p><p>“Apparently, some people have their tastes. Ya know?” She says with a shrug. To each their own.</p><p>Jay shivers. To each their own.</p><p> </p><p>The slaves here are a bit different than the serving slaves. There is a strange sense of competition but also a secret sense of comfort and understanding. Some nights, in the basement where they sleep, slaves will come back from work in the middle of the night distressed. Jay would blink awake and find a blanket of slaves huddled with each other whispering soothing words to those in crying tears. Jay worries for when his time is near.</p><p>The competition is strange to him, but some of the slaves are more ambitious. They seem to like how they look and how they act, and they get wonderful rewards. If you consider showering in lavish jewelry, being draped in gold, and terribly drafty clothing to be rewards. Jay doesn’t care much for the jewels and gold, and he shivers just thinking about those clothes. They must be so cold. He does think they look pretty though, and he admires the slaves for their pride and their effort to be the best. It’s a strange new contemplation.</p><p>But the best thing about this place? The blankets. <em>They’re everywhere</em>.</p><p>When the day comes for his turn, Kella holds him tight and keeps him close. She keeps reminding him that she’s here for him, and he’ll always be able to come to her to feel better. Jay’s sense of dread grows and grows, despite her best efforts.</p><p>That night, when they are sending the slaves away, one master points at him. The same one who asked about him that first day. Headmaster Cara’mi and the master talk, while Jay sits patiently on a cushion. Kella gives him one last hug before she steps back, and Jay looks at her in confusion. Is she leaving him? She turns away and doesn’t turn back. Jay swallows the lump in his throat. Hmm. This is suspicious. He does not like it. Not one bit.</p><p>At least he got a nice bath today. He likes the soap they have here; it smells like flowers. And his hair is freshly washed with the special shampoo they keep giving him. It’s grown longer and softer with it, tickling the back of his neck. He brushes his bangs out of his face, wondering if the Zygerrians will want to cut it. He doubts it. They love his hair too much to cut some of it away. The smell of perfume cuts through these thoughts and he looks up to find the headmaster. Headmaster Cara’mi carefully lays a hand on his back and leads him forward, towards the other master.</p><p>“He’s got to start sometime. Be careful with him. He may struggle, but he’s new and I will need to make sure he keeps that pretty face,” Headmaster Cara’mi smiles, and pinches Jays cheeks in fake affection, “So no damages. He will learn in time.”</p><p>Jay rubs at his cheek absentmindedly once it’s let go.</p><p>The other master licks his lips, looking a little too deeply into Jay’s face, and it makes Jay feel like he’s being sized up to be cooked for dinner. “That’s alright. I’ll be firm, yet gentle.”</p><p>Jay blinks, staring between the masters in confusion. He peeks at Kella. She’s not looking at him—scratch that, she’s avoiding his gaze and so is everyone else. They look sad.</p><p>That second everything clicked. Oh. <em>Oh.</em></p><p>Jay realizes what this man wants, at least to the best of the ability of a relatively sheltered eleven-year-old can. He doesn’t know the full scope of the strange desire, but he knows right here and right now that he knows he doesn’t want it. But what can he do to stop it? He stares up at the master, unblinkingly, pale-blue eyes serene. Planning.</p><p>“Up this way, master,” He says. Headmaster Cara’mi perks up in pride.</p><p>“Finally,” the other master grunts, satisfied.</p><p>Jay takes the lead up the stairs, three steps ahead, and each step towards the second floor he debates over a decision. When he reaches the top, his decision is made.  </p><p>Jay turns quickly and throws out a leg in a spartan kick that knocks the Zygerrian in the chest. The sudden unbalance and gravity does the rest. The master doesn’t have the coordination or time to catch himself, and he is thrown backwards, slamming down violently into the steps where he tumbles with the intensity of a rogue bowling ball jolting down the stairs.</p><p>Jay doesn’t bother to wait, and he dashes away as he hears to the uncoordinated crashing and shouting that follows him down the hallway. He knows the doors up here have locks. He throws himself into the nearest open one and hits the panel that slams the door shut, locking himself in when shouts ring through the walls.</p><p>“Open this door, you little heathen!” Headmaster Cara’mi shouts. Hard hits hammer at the door, and it shakes.</p><p>“No!” He screams, “I will not!”</p><p>With that, he hunkers down, sitting with his back to the door. Ignoring their angry calls that shout and coax. Telling him that he’ll be punished severely if he doesn’t come out right now or he’ll be rewarded greatly if he were to come out quietly, and he’ll be given some time to adjust and blah blah blah. Like Jay is stupid enough to believe them. He does believe he’ll be punished, though. Whether or not the Zygerrians see it as punishment isn’t his problem. At some point, they quiet down.</p><p>“Just let him be, he’ll have to come out eventually,” Headmaster Cara’mi grumbles. Jay can smell him through the door. Somebody grunts in response and hammers the door one last time, and Jay flinches.</p><p>With that, they leave him alone and Jay falls into an uneasy doze. They’re right, of course; he can’t stay in here forever. Not only does he want to go home to mom and dad, but eventually he’ll need to use the refresher and eat food like a civilized human being.</p><p>Not long later, Jay jerks awake, licking at the weird taste in his mouth left from falling asleep without brushing his teeth. The clock tells him that it’s some awful time in the middle of the night when a sensible person would be asleep. Good enough time to escape.</p><p>He opens the door and scampers through the dark back to the slave bunks in the basement, with a little detour to the refresher and a bite to eat at the kitchen. With no where to go and nothing left to do, he goes to sleep for the night, wondering what terrors tomorrow will bring.</p><p> </p><p>The next day, nobody bothers him about what happened. He gets first meal with the others and the handlers seem to ignore him, and Kella doesn’t bring it up. It should be relieving, but Jay only feels more tense like he’s waiting for the predator to pounce. He’s jittery all day, jumping at little sounds and he actually flinched when Kella put a hand on his shoulder to ask if he was alright. Of course, he smiled and said he was fine, but at that point it wasn’t remotely convincing. Kella gave him a disbelieving glare but didn’t mention it.</p><p>Jay berates himself for it. He should have better control and better focus, but the masters… he feels so out of control. They could come for him at any minute and it drives him crazy, waiting for the ball to drop.</p><p>They get pudding again after late meal, but he hardly tastes it. He gives it to Kella and sits with his head on his knees.</p><p>He thinks about what it all means. The things the other slaves are doing and why. It’s terrible. It’s not fair. It’s the opposite of comfortable. But they fake it so well. Some of them don’t even fake it, they like the way they live. But still, it’s all so confusing, and—and there’s no control. There is nothing he can do to help them but wish the force will one day give him the opportunity. Until then, he must survive. Just like Master Vos said.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, they do try it again two days later. It is a trap from the very beginning. They let everything go as normal, and as jittery and cautious as Jay was, he doesn’t expect them to change the locks. Headmaster Cara’mi leads him into a room, and Jay follows as requested. Not that he could deny it anyway. But then, the headmaster leaves, and shuts the door. It locks.</p><p>For a moment Jay doesn’t process the problem. Then—oh no. The door locked. The door <em>locked from the outside.</em> Jay panics, his breathing picks up and he looks frantically around for a place to escape but there is none. His heart beats like a trapped animal and he feels for all those poor pets that have ever been caged. He snaps down on the instinct to hide, because it won’t work for long, and he needs to get control of himself. Breathe, he tells himself, and he takes many deep breaths until his head feels light and free. Here and now. Survive like Master Vos said. And don’t give up, Dad says, adapt. Plan.</p><p>I’m not giving up, Jay determines.</p><p>The door clicks unlocked and slides open. A different master comes in than the one who first asked for him. Jay feels a small sliver of satisfaction. He must have scared him away.</p><p>The door slides shut with a click—locked again from the outside. Jay swallows, timid, but determined. He took on a fully armored Kyr’tsad mando with nothing but a blanket. Jay takes a glance at the cushions around him. And what do ya know, this room is full of blankets.</p><p>I’m fully armed, Jay thinks with a smile. The master grins back. They are smiling for two completely different reasons, but that’s okay. Jay picks up a blanket, testing its durability. A bit thin, but not bad. Made more for aesthetic than comfort. It will have to do.</p><p>It happens quickly. Jay had gathered his weapons, so he gets in close with his adversary and trips him by pulling a blanket around the legs. The grappling isn’t hard; the Zygerrian doesn’t <em>really</em> know how to wrestle all that well. Ba’vodu taught Jay how wrestle, and on the ship with Death Watch, they <em>really</em> knew how to wrestle. Jay is small and quick. So, the master doesn’t actually stand a chance, since the Zygerrian couldn’t grab him to pin him down. He sure makes a ruckus though, shouting enough to bring the house down. Yet soon enough the handler is wrapped up tight in cloth like a burrito. Force, Jay would love a lower Coruscant burrito when he gets home.</p><p>The next part, Jay hesitates; he’s never choked someone out before, and on the ship, it was absolutely terrifying when that beast did it to him. He would hate to do that to somebody else. There isn’t much of an option... Jay isn’t sure if the blankets would hold the master very long, and he doubts he could get the upper hand again. And he could be punished. So, Jay did what he had to, and wrapped a blanket around the master’s neck, and waited, threatening, but doesn’t pull it taught. Maybe the threat of it will be enough…</p><p>The handler goes still and begins to beg. Jay doesn’t bother to respond. He doesn’t even know what he would say in this situation, so he ignores whatever the Zygerrians is saying. Doesn’t even hear it. The door panel clicks, unlocking. Jay holds position and shuts his eyes, holding his fear close to his chest. Handlers and guards flood the room and pull Jay away from the cocooned Zygerrian.</p><p>What happens next is fuzzy. After they hold him still and stick him in the arm with something sharp and burning, he barely recalls being dragged out of the entrance of the Pleasure house. The world is a swirl (terribly nauseating) and at some point, he doesn’t have the coordination to keep his eyes open for very long.</p><p>He thinks he hears Headmaster Cara’mi at some point.</p><p>“He’s bad stock, burn him with the others,” is uttered in irritation, and it comes muffled into Jay’s bleary head.</p><p>It seems the master doesn’t bother with him again because he doesn’t even remember leaving the whole slave training compound.</p><p>He’s going to the Hole house. There is no comfort there.</p><p> </p><p>Jay blinks awake unbearably hot on the dirtiest bed he’s ever seen, sheets covered in grime and dust. He coughs to clear his throat, but somehow breathing in only made it worse and his body heaves for another breath. The air quality in here must be terrible, Jay thinks. It’s very unpleasant. They were right, there is no comfort here. He coughs more, wracking at his chest when his nose recognizes the strange hot scent in the air and his body tenses, knowing the danger before his brain does.</p><p>Heat.</p><p>Smoke.</p><p>
  <em>Fire. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s everywhere.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>The second the <em>Negotiator</em> arrived in Ziki’s orbit, the Zygerrians seem to panic once again. There are no ships in orbit so getting through atmo with drop ships is easy. Obi-Wan watches the ground some closer, marveling at the dense wood forests around the compounds. The planet is… actually very nice, Zygerrians aside. He wonders what the local animal and plant life are like. Maybe if they find Jaytin and have extra time, they could go exploring. If Jay is alright, of course.</p><p>The Zygerrians try to get their ships in the sky, but Anakin and his pilots arrive too swiftly, and they are shot down before they get their heavily armed hulls too far off the ground. The ships go up in fire and Anakin’s ships circle the base like predators. The slave guards outside the compound try to make some semblance of a formation, but once troopers’ feet hit the ground, the guards are not difficult to subdue. Obi-Wan does little more than deflect shots away from his men. Rather easy, compared to fighting the droid army and Ventress. He makes it into the compounds with his men at his back, the familiarity of it strangely comforting, and then they invade the Zygerrian base with ease.</p><p>If this is how they run their slave empire, through panic and disarray, Obi-Wan wonders how they ever make it at all. The Hutts are more organized than this and that’s saying something. Although, if he hadn’t experienced their methods first hand, he would say that the Zygerrians are rather harmless, in the grand scheme of things. But he knows the evil that can exist in just the tiniest bits of the galaxy. Not a single being deserves such agony. The compounds that they storm into confirm those thoughts. His men find whips and electric rods and other such devices for punishments, or even death. The slaves freeze when they arrive in each house and wait to see if there is such a thing as freedom anymore.</p><p>Anakin, force bless him, is in element once he lands his fighter. Obi-Wan rarely ever sees Anakin as happy as he is when freeing people. It’s rather liberating (literally), to watch him break chains and feel the satisfaction and understanding in the force. Like <em>I was freed and now I do the honor of freeing.</em> It’s humbling, and Obi-Wan is proud of his boy.</p><p>Rex seems a bit too trigger happy for the ensuing fights, but Obi-Wan can’t bring himself to blame him. The good captain missed the fight last time and experienced exactly what kind of horrors the Zygerrians deal with. As long as Rex doesn’t overstep, Obi-Wan will not stop him.</p><p>When they reach the serving houses, Obi-Wan is extra vigilant with how they storm the compound. Jay could be here, and they don’t want to risk him getting hurt.</p><p>As the Jedi (and because he wants to be), he is the first in the door to what appears to be the serving house, knocking the entrance open dramatically and using his lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts from himself and his men. A guard comes forward with an electric whip, and oh, Obi-Wan doesn’t feel like going through that again after last time, so he steps aside and lets Wooley through with the blaster. Whips aren’t very good defense against blasters.</p><p>“Enough!” Someone shrieks. An awful shriek—this person has a terrible set of lungs.</p><p>Obi-Wan halts, mostly because he’s curious. This is a chance to talk and he loves talking. He signals his men to stop, and just as competently as the old days, they halt as well. Boil is somewhere at his side, speaking into a com on new trooper frequencies. External mute sure is nice, isn’t it?</p><p>At the other end of what appears to be a dining hall, a Zygerrian dressed way too lavishly to be a guard holds a transmitter, and he has guards on either side. A couple slaves are kneeling in front of them, while guards hold electric whips around the slaves’ necks, waiting to constrict them like dangerous snakes.</p><p>Obi-Wan’s face contorts in disgust before he gets a hold of his emotions and smooths out. He doesn’t feel like going through this again either, but last time he didn’t have his men standing ready at his back.</p><p>“Any closer and I blow the slave houses!” The Zygerrian shrieks again, terribly shrill, and then he seems to remember the slaves in front of him and adds, “And you will be the last thing these slaves ever see!”</p><p>Obi-Wan’s gut tightens, because not only would all those innocent lives be lost, but if Little Jaybird is here, then his son may be killed, and his death would be Obi-Wan’s fault. And Obi-Wan can’t… just can’t have that on his conscious. It would shatter him. Force, how Obi-Wan very much <em>dislikes</em> (hatred isn’t the Jedi way) Zygerrian slavers.</p><p>“And what good would that serve?” Obi-Wan tries to reason, “Was this loss so great that you must make our victory so bitter?”</p><p>The trembling of the Zygerrian slaver and the fear in the force tells Obi-Wan that this slaver is more afraid than vindictive, which he could work with. Perhaps he could convince them that the hostages are unnecessary, as well as the petty acts of spiteful violence. Or he could at least stall for time…</p><p>“May we come to an agreement?” Obi-Wan offers. The Zygerrian tilts his head in interest, but then recoils.</p><p>“Oh no, Jedi, not on your terms.”</p><p>Obi-Wan frowns, “I have yet to offer any terms. Perhaps you may offer some terms of your own?”</p><p>The Zygerrian sneers, “What do I have left after you and your republic dogs destroyed our base?”</p><p>Obi-Wan thinks for a moment, “I do not recall destroying anything, except for your armed ships.”</p><p>“Exactly!” The Zygerrian shrieks, and Obi-Wan flinches. What a terrible noise… “You have robbed us of our way off this planet!”</p><p>“Hmm,” Obi-Wan hums, “So you need a ship then. Would you like one of ours, in exchange for the slaves’ lives?”</p><p>This gets the Zygerrian to pause.</p><p>“I would be taking my slaves with me,” The Zygerrian gestures to the trembling slaves with the damning whips around their throats. Surprisingly, one of the slaves seems resolute, and stares right at the troopers behind Obi-Wan in respect and awe. He’s a green Twi’lek. Obi-Wan wonders what the Twi’lek could be thinking.</p><p>“I have lost enough stock,” The slaver says, annoyed now, “And I won’t be leaving empty handed.”</p><p>“What about your fellow Zygerrians?” Obi-Wan asks. It’s rather selfish to only request escape for yourself. Such a rude criminal.</p><p>“They can make their own deals; I can have mine,” the Zygerrian huffs.</p><p>Obi-Wan nods, “Are these your terms? A ship and these slaves here for the promise that you won’t explode the slave bunks, is that correct?”</p><p>“All my slaves, Jedi! You can’t trick me with your pretty words!” Pretty? “Not just the ones here. And all of my guards.”</p><p>Obi-Wan frowns, “And how do you plan on transporting them? A drop ship doesn’t have the space to hold the amount that you have.”</p><p>“Give me a second ship,” the Zygerrians snaps, starting to panic again.</p><p>Jeez, greedy. In that moment, Obi-Wans senses something urgent happening over the coms. His men behind him suddenly glow with excitement. Good news?</p><p>Waxer gets Obi-Wan’s attention with a whisper over his left shoulder, “Rex and Skywalker have just reported that they’ve just finished evacuating the slave bunks. You’re free to proceed.”</p><p>Oh! Wonderful! Then all that’s left are the slaves in front of them. Good man, Anakin. He has an instinctual knowledge of when slaves are in danger. Obi-Wan tries not to let the relief show on his face.</p><p>“I’m afraid we shall need to negotiate different terms, if you insist on a second ship. Do you have a pilot?”</p><p>The Zygerrian snarls, but the panic in the force tells Obi-Wan that this slave does not, in fact, have a pilot. Force, this lack of preparation and planning is almost painful…</p><p>Then the great open windows in the dining room shatter and troopers’ storm in with Cody at the head. Being that they’re on the second floor, none of the Zygerrians are prepared for the rather rude intrusion. The surprise is enough for the guards to be brought down before activating and tightening the whips, shot down by expert soldiers in seconds. The slaves scatter away and rush towards the exit. Only the green Twi’lek moves behind the white and orange troopers and stays to watch.</p><p>The Zygerrian holding the transmitter holds his hands in hands the air and tightens his grip, “I’ll do it! I’ll kill them all!”</p><p>Obi-Wan gives him a bitter smile, quite alright with the discomfort it might cause, “Oh, I’m afraid the terms have changed.”</p><p> </p><p>The whole liberation takes about two hours to complete, showing the efficiency of the republic’s best men and the lack of preparation the Zygerrians had for protecting their investments. Pity for them.</p><p>Although, their investments are all too happy to be rid of their slave life and move onto freedom. Speaking of freedom, Obi-Wan better get on that. He didn’t exactly tell the Council that he will be freeing a few hundred slaves that now need food, shelter, transportation, etcetera. Very “Anakin” of him to not think that through…</p><p>Welp, better to ask for forgiveness than permission. That’s what Master Qui-Gon always said. And did. Often. But Obi-Wan is high enough in the Jedi rankings that he should be able to make these kinds of calls because he is respected and responsible. Usually.</p><p>Fortunately, the GAR reserves specialize in restoration and refugee care, as well as the Peacekeepers. The order is much bigger now, and more than enough Jedi trained sensitives to spare that can help these people out.</p><p>Obi-Wan is starting to feel hopeful, until Anakin stops him with a hand on his shoulder and notifies him that little Jay was, in fact, not in the serving slaves’ quarters where Livy said he should be. At least Jaytin wouldn’t have been killed if Anakin hadn’t cleared out the slave bunks before the Zygerrian threatened to trigger the transmitter. If Jaytin is even still alive… Oh, how that thought hurts, but Obi-Wan is sure he would know in the force if his son had died.</p><p>In the base, the guards that were left are placed in the labor barn under guard, and the slavers themselves are cuffed and corralled together into a group outside in a clearing. The Clone troopers stand around them in a circle, holding their blasters at rest (with the safety on), but that is no less menacing. It’s rather intimidating and the slavers seem to realize that things are not great anymore. They aren’t prepared for the coming interrogation.</p><p>Anakin starts first. He barely opens his mouth before a slaver interrupts him.</p><p>“You won’t get anything out of us, Jedi skug!”</p><p>The immediate displeasure on Anakin’s face is almost amusing, despite the situation. He hadn’t even said anything yet and he’s already annoyed. Poor boy…</p><p>“Then you should be relieved that we are leaving the real interrogation and trial to Republic Judicial,” Anakin says drily, “No, we are asking about something a little more… personal,” he finishes with dangerous smile. Obi-Wan thinks it’s more of threat than a smile, but who is he to judge. Anakin’s doing just fine. He steps in though because he’s getting anxious. Worried Father Problems.</p><p> “We are looking for a boy, a young human male that we were told came into your tender care,” Obi-Wan announces, “My son.”</p><p>“We had the son of a Jedi?” Some slaver whispers, somehow sounding simultaneously awed and horrified.</p><p>Sounds of shock drift through the slavers, and the one in charge of the serving house cringes (the one that threatened to blow them all up, Obi-Wan notes). That’s not something any criminal wants to hear. It seems without much trouble, the Zygerrians know who Obi-Wan is looking for. He hopes that’s not a bad omen. Maybe the force collar gave it away?</p><p>Anakin steps forward and Obi-Wan allows it again. He’ll step in if he has to, but for now he wants to see what information he can gleam.</p><p>“Yeah, and he has half the order looking for him,” Anakin is exaggerating, Obi-Wan thinks, but the intimidation seems to be working. The Zygerrians appear to curl into themselves in panic. Anakin stands menacingly above them, eyes glimmering and searching their souls, “Do you know where he could be?”</p><p>Nobody looks like they want to answer, but some stare pointedly at the slaver in charge of the servers. That one gulps, and when he notices they are expecting him to squeal, he panics. He squeals. Still a terrible sound.</p><p>“Don’t look at me! I sent him to the pleasure house!” Oof. That’s quite possibly the worst thing he could say, even after threatening to explode his own slaves.</p><p>Obi-Wan’s men tense, almost collectively as outrage suffuses into the force, and there is the mild shuffling of dangerous soldiers settling their blasters. The blood drains from Obi-Wan’s face, yet blood rises in Anakin’s turning his face crimson in fury. Obi-Wan staggers forward to lean on his taller brother, partially because now he’s lightheaded from the very thought of his son… there (and the blood leaving his head), but also to keep Anakin from doing some very un-jedi like damage.</p><p>“You sent a child to the pleasure house?! He’s eleven standard!” Anakin roars. The Zygerrian slaver flinches, trembling, and Obi-Wan can feel the palpable fury in the force. It’s probably not helping anyone, but again, the intimidation seems to be working.</p><p>“I—it wasn’t me! Cara’mi handled the transfer!”</p><p>Obi-Wan and everyone surveys the crowd for what could possibly look like a Zygerrian named Cara’mi. It’s a good thing the other Zygerrians know, because they all turn to stare at the gaudiest Zygerrian Obi-Wan has ever seen. He is definitely not what Obi-Wan was expecting. This slaver is wearing way too much makeup, and those colors do not work with his skin tone. With that thought, Obi-Wan realizes he has been spending way too much time dressing up with Satine. He shakes his head and returns to moment at hand.</p><p>The Zygerrian scoffs when Obi-Wan approaches with Anakin at his side. He senses Rex and Cody at his peripheral. Then suddenly, Anakin gags, and for a moment Obi-Wan turns to stare at his former padawan in concern when the most pungent perfume invades his nose. Oh. No wonder Anakin is pulling his tunic over his nose. That perfume is <em>rampant.</em> Although, Obi-Wan is too put together to show his disdain for it.</p><p>Anakin, on the other hand, has no problem bluntly insulting people to their face, “Force, he <em>reeks.</em>”</p><p>The Zygerrian, Cara’mi, visibly bristles, “This is the height of Zygerrian fragrance! Imported from Zygerria and sold all over the galaxy!”</p><p>Anakin scoffs, “Yeah, but did you bathe in it?”</p><p>Obi-Wan shakes his head and puts a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, “Now, Anakin, no need to insult the poor man, he obviously needs the height of Zygerrian fragrance to compensate for his low moral integrity.”</p><p>“Excuse me?” The Zygerrian gasps dramatically, apparently aware he has been insulted but unable to articulate a good response.</p><p>Anakin snorts.</p><p>“So,” Obi-Wan begins, standing at parade rest, looking down upon the slaver. Command rings in his voice with the need for justice simmering beneath his skin, “You transferred my eleven-year-old son to the pleasure house, correct?”</p><p>The Zygerrians tilts his nose up and is deliberately difficult. It seems he remains without remorse for his part as a slaver.</p><p>“I transfer a lot of slaves so you’re going to have to be more specific. What did he look like?”</p><p>Anakin growls, “How many eleven-year-olds do you transfer to your so called ‘pleasure house’?”</p><p>Obi-Wan stops the reply by interrupting, since he doesn’t particularly want to know the answer to that question.</p><p>“He should look like me, but smaller.”</p><p>He absolutely regrets it, seeing the delight in this Cara’mi’s face.</p><p>“Oh, the little redheaded human? He wasn’t a good investment. <em>So</em>, <em>we lit him on fire.</em>” The perfumed Zygerrian sneers, a manic light in his eyes.</p><p>Obi-Wan pales, looking very much like he wants to pass out. Anakin wants to <em>murder</em>, Obi-Wan can see his hands twitching for a lightsaber or for the force, Obi-Wan doesn’t know. It was Rex though, who shoots the slaver in the chest with not an ounce of hesitation. Cody is disappointed, blaster raised, that he didn’t get to do it himself, but Cody was the one that worked with the General that liked to talk before fighting. Rex didn’t.</p><p>Still, this was, all around, not a good time.</p><p>Obi-Wan curses himself for being too late once again.</p>
<hr/><p>The adrenaline in Jay’s body obliterates the last of the drowsiness from whatever the masters dosed him with, and he launches himself off the mattress. Dust puffs up into the air, and mixed with the smoke, there is little air to breathe. Once he starts coughing, and he struggles to stop as he searches the room for an exit. The walls are burning, yellow flames licking at the wooden base boards, which is actually impressive that the Zygerrians used wood. No wonder this place is being renovated.</p><p>Jay tries to get oxygen into his lungs, but he heaves and chokes. There is too much smoke, and the air is filthy. At that thought, he remembers creche fire training, and pulls the fabric of his shirt over his mouth and nose. Sweat drips down his neck. Ew, he must also be filthy.</p><p>He steps carefully over the wooden floor, knowing to be weary of the wood breaking under his feet. At the wooden door, he stops. The door is locked and also on fire, which is unhelpful. But…</p><p>Despite the fire in front of him Jay rams his tiny body into the door and it’s weak enough to splinter and crack open and Jay falls into the flaming heap and rolls away from it as quickly as he can into the hallway. Which is also on fire. Fear clogs Jays throat and for a moment he can’t breathe from the strength of the emotion alone. He brings his meager shirt back up to his face, which is wet from both sweat and the tears burning his eyes. The hallway is ablaze, a circle of fire and crumbling wood.</p><p>This—the thought unexpectedly strikes him—this is the most terrifying thing he’s faced yet. He’s struck with the sudden paralyzing fear that he is going to die, here, in this burning blaze. Lit on fire, screaming in pain where no one would hear him, for family that won’t be there when he so desperately wishes for them, and burnt to ashes that won’t be spread in his honor—his family may never know what is left of him in this rubble, returned to the universe in dust. He will never see dad smile again, and mom can’t ever kiss him goodnight. No more family time after dinner. No more sitting together on the couch for a nap. No more tickle fights after saber practice. It all ends here. Alone. Being consumed in fire and left into the void.</p><p>Jay chokes on a sob. He doesn’t want to end here. He needs to get <em>out</em>.</p><p>He lets out a broken cry and charges down the hallway without care, flames licking at his clothes trying to grab at his skin. His lungs heave for air that just isn’t there, and they seem to burn as well, but Jay keeps going. The wooden boards beneath his feet wobble, could give at any moment, and when one splinters beneath his foot, he keeps running, ignoring it with desperation fueling his legs.</p><p>At the end of the hallway there are stairs—or there were once stairs. Now, it is just a drop, with flames eating the wood at the bottom. Jay nearly stumbles to a stop but with a last second thought he speeds up, and jumps. He has enough training so far that he lands in a roll on reflex to lessen the impact.</p><p>Out of the roll, he keeps moving, ignoring the pain from jumping down a level. Exhilaration finds his heart when he sees a door—a not-wooden door that isn’t on fire. The burning windows on either side imply that behind that door is the outside where there shouldn’t be fire. Jay wants to be there, where there shouldn’t be fire.</p><p>He runs to it, and despair returns when he find the opening panel to be shot and shorted out. Jay looks to the burning windows. One is very clearly broken open, wide enough to fit through. Yet, the fire in front of the window is rather repulsive. Jay disregards that as unimportant and climbs through the fire, cutting his hands on the glass of the broken window frame and heaves himself into the outside.</p><p>Jay falls to the grounds and hardly takes a moment to relish in the cool night air and army crawls away from the house on his elbows, unwilling to put his cut hands to the dirt. When he’s far enough away, he turns to see the terror, this blazing house of nightmares.</p><p>It barely stands, wobbling dangerously. Jay is surprised at how loud fire is, cracking and crackling at the house. He lays on his back and leans up on his elbows, letting the cool breeze dry the tear tracks on his face and the cold sooth the burns on his arms and legs. It’s so nice out here, away from the heat, Jay could hardly believe how nice it felt to be out in the cold night.</p><p>With a rumble and a crack, the house collapses, swirling ash and embers in pretty spirals into the air as the wood splinters and crumbles and continues to burn. Jay watches.</p><p>At some point, something taps and shakes his shoulder, and Jay lets out a cry and curls into himself. But it’s insistent, and what feels like hands grab at his shoulders, and haul him gently backwards. They coax him to lay out and he does, and he opens his eyes that he didn’t know he shut to find a few other people standing around him. Their faces are solemn and hollow, which is just a step past how he feels now. It’s then that he knows that they too have felt the desperation and brush with death and now wait for life to resume again. Their clothes are dusted with ash and singed from fire.</p><p>Jay nearly bursts into tears again, but the pale Zabrak that comes into focus at his shoulder shushes him. He goes to take Jay’s hand, but Jay is suddenly reminded of the glass, which he would like removed if that’s alright. It kind of hurts now, so its immediate extraction from his flesh would be rather nice. He pulls his hand away from the zabrak and shows him the blood and glass. Together, they begin to remove it.</p><p>By the time the sky starts to lighten, the dark of night giving to pale yellow, his hands have been wrapped with the shreds of his pants, wounds cleaned from water in the stream the other survivors found nearby. He’s wearing impromptu shorts now that end at his knees, but his hands do feel infinitely better without glass in them. He can make do with shorts, even if it’s getting a bit chilly out this morning.</p><p>Overall, the burns on his arms and legs aren’t too bad. Some of the others have worse, where the flames dug deep into the layers of skin, but Jay’s don’t reach deep enough to be concerning.</p><p>“You’ll be okay, just keep an eye on them, and you’ll heal. Like sunburn,” the zabrak reassures, his voice a deep baritone and oddly soothing. Like Master Plo’s.</p><p>Jay frowns and squints up at him, “Something tells me you’ve never had sunburn.”</p><p>The zabrak barks out a laugh, seemingly surprised at Jay’s gall, “No, of course not. I’m a zabrak and you’re a pink squishy human. The pink ones only get pinker in the sun.”</p><p>Jay looks at his burns, “They look red to me, not pink. I’m not pink.”</p><p>The zabrak shakes his head, “Compared to me, you’re very pink. Especially right now,” The zabrak takes a deep breath, both for him and for Jay, “You’ll be alright.”</p><p>Jay shrugs. Sure, I guess. Compared to being on fire, Jay’s doing great. “Alright,” Jay concedes.</p><p>The zabrak takes another breath and looks to the lightening sky. He shuts his eyes and says reverently, “Better than those left in the flames, may they rest in peace now.”</p><p>Tears prickle at Jay’s eyes and his stomach drops into ice.</p><p>“What?” He whispers, not really wanting to know the answer. There were people still in there? When he was escaping? How did he not notice? What if he could have done something? He hadn’t even thought—he was so caught up in himself, he should be better—</p><p>The zabrak hushes him, “They are in a better place and we better move on. We are the survivors. We march on through the fire.”</p><p>Death, yet the force. Or, more closely to what Ba’vodu says during remembrances, Marching On Ahead. Jay swallows his despair and joins the Zabrak to honor the ashes in the clouds.</p><p>After that, their little group of survivors (no more than fifteen) wander off into the forested wilderness. It seems they have decided that wandering towards civilization is a bad idea, since that is where the slavers are. So that is where these people don’t want to be. Jay is unsure if wandering into the unknown is the correct plan of action, but he also agrees that he doesn’t want to go back to the Zygerrians, so he follows along.</p><p>He sticks to the zabrak’s side. Nobody talks; they walk silently between the trees for hours, seeing small creatures flitter amongst the underbrush. There doesn’t seem to be any dangerous predators here, and hopefully the amount of people in their little group would be enough to deter any. Safety in numbers, hopefully.</p><p>Jay watches the little creatures of this planet play in the trees and bushes. They’re kind of cute and weird. Like tooka’s but with small, rounded ears, tiny muzzles, and silky antennae that bounce as the dash around. He will have to look them up when he gets home. Dad would probably be interested. He’s weird like that. He’d want to go exploring for the sake of adventure and curiosities. The day passes quicker than Jay thought it would, and by the time the sun is setting, Jay’s feet ache and he’s ready to rest.</p><p>A few slaves go out to scout for water and food before it gets too dark to see. He wants to go with them, but the zabrak nods his head to call him over.</p><p>The zabrak makes him sit back against a tree and crouches, reaching for the collar on Jay’s neck. Jay flinches, and the hand pulls back. He had forgotten it was there.</p><p>“What’s this for?” The zabrak asks, and then tenses, “Please tell me it’s not a tracker.” Jay shakes his head, since he’s pretty sure the collar Death Watch put on him isn’t a tracking collar (no need to keep track of a prisoner in a cell) and the Zygerrians didn’t bother with a new one. The zabrak relaxes. And if it were a tracker, Jay would have told them before trekking through the woods all day. He considers the consequences of telling this zabrak what the collar does and concludes that it should be alright to trust him. Jay also fingers at the collar.</p><p>“It suppresses the force,” He replies.</p><p>The intricate markings on the zabrak’s face shoot up in surprise and wonder, “Oh. You’re force sensitive.”</p><p>Well yeah. Duh. Jay nods. He thought that was implied.</p><p>“We should get that off.”</p><p>Jay nods. He would very much like it off. He would very much like to feel the force again.</p><p>The zabrak strokes his chin in a move that reminds Jay of dad (which is even stranger since zabraks don’t have beards), “Hm,” He hums, “Being force sensitive is very useful.”</p><p>Well yeah. Duh. Jay nods again.  </p><p>“Will being force sensitive help us escape this place?” The zabrak asks as he fiddles with the collar, pulling out a small tool with little gadgets. Useful for mechanics, Jay realizes, a slave mechanic.</p><p>Jay is honest when he answers, “It could. I’ll do my best to use the force to help us escape. I’m sure I want out of here as much as you do.”</p><p>“Maybe,” the zabrak murmurs, busy with his contraption. The other survivors wander around them to watch. There is likely little else to keep them entertained out here near the wood. Still, he feels uncomfortable being the spectacle of the evening. He doesn’t like being stared at, not before and definitely not anymore.</p><p>“Aha,” the zabrak murmurs again, “There we go.” He flicks his wrist.</p><p>The clamped collar clicks and snaps off and for a moment nothing changes. Concerned, Jay attempts to open to the force, searching for a moment, and he’s too late to realize that is mistake.</p><p>The universe capsizes around him, like he’s been punched in the metaphysical stomach and he is trying to suck in metaphysical air. Jay has no idea what’s happening to his actual body, since it seems he’s no longer in it, and he flips and swirls through the dizzying energies of the cosmos.</p><p>He doesn’t know which way is up or down, or if direction is just another sentient construct, like time. His metaphysical stomach may just have him metaphysically vomit because he feels sick. It’s too much. There’s so much life, so much noise, so much, just so <em>much</em>…</p><p>He jerks like a he was jolted with electricity and is violently slammed back into his body which he can’t seem to control. It thrashes around him and he can’t breathe. Some survivors are trying to snag his flailing limbs and soon he is pinned down, but he keeps going, leaving his body behind again.</p><p>He sees flashes, colors, images, and sequences of various people and places. He watches Aunt ‘Soka fight something red and black, he sees some angry danger lady circle what Jay knows to be Grievous, and he sees Ba’vodu get <em>stabbed through with a black saber.</em> It’s horrible and terrible and violent and Jay tries to scream but it seems that without a body, it’s a bit difficult. Vocal cords are necessary for screaming.  </p><p>Everything with his body is a bit difficult at the moment. Like where is it and why can’t he <em>breathe</em>.</p><p>He’s once again violently slammed back into his body and he continues to jerk with a rhythm, little shocks in the force match the chest compressions one of the slaves seems to be preforming on him. That explains why I couldn’t breathe, Jay blearily thinks.</p><p>Scared that the force will drag him back down with a vengeance, he clamps back down in the force, strangling his connection to a mere trickle. Only after a moment, he realizes he went too far, because when he reaches out again to grasp at it, he can’t seem to open up again.</p><p>There is only a trickle. Great, now the force is peeing on him instead of the smooth flow of a river. That’s not quite what he meant to do. But it’s better than that maelstrom of force he just went through. Small mercies, he supposes.</p><p>He takes a deep breath, blinking the spots and bright lights out of his vision, frustrated and grumpy. Everything is dark, and then Jay realizes that the little episode took long enough for the sun to set completely. Was it minutes or hours?</p><p>“Are you alright?” Someone asks.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Jay says with a pout. He sits up and proceeds to keep going to his hands and knees to upend his stomach. There is nothing in it, so it’s very unnecessary, but it sure did its very best. Jay dry heaves and groans. Why must his body betray him so?</p><p>The zabrak snorts, “Yeah, just fine, kid.”</p><p>Jay fixes him with his best glare from his position close to the ground. He just chuckles.</p><p>At least he has something to laugh about. That’s a small blessing these days. Let’s hope they survive to see more days.</p><p>But with the strange hissing growing in crescendo among the woods and the force hissing dangers in his head through pinched connections, Jay doesn’t like the odds.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If anyone is worried about the fic getting darker—don’t. It gets better from here. We are moving on to the next part, which is more combat and learning-oriented, no more slavery or triggering things. It’s going to get violent, but I don’t make things graphic, I don’t kill loved characters, and I only write happy endings. Everything will be "fine." Jay is just starting to learn how to navigate. This chapter was once again longer and shorter than anticipated. I guess it's just how it's going to be. The whole fic is planned, it just needs to be written and it's so fun to write. Leave comments if there is something you like or something you want to see. Happy readings!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to comment ideas for the fic.<br/>I have it planned out, but I'm open to squeezing something fun in.<br/>This is Jay's story, with the Team always one step behind him, going absolutely crazy with the rest of the Republic and Mandalore.<br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
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